Advice wanted on what is needed to get a Tourist Licence to rent out a property

Hi Ray

Thank you so much for this information. It is really useful and has given me lots more to think about and, very importantly, guidance on what the property requires to qualify. This includes some requirements that I didn't expect like the size of rooms and the need to have a bath not just a shower in the bathroom!  We will go back and measure the rooms of the house we are considering and take the guidance to the Town Hall.

We would be grateful for any other advice, especially from people who have knowledge about renting out houses in villages inland from the coast.(We are considering buying about 25 minutes from Oliva beach).

Thanks again

Gail

Hi, yes definitely get all the facts, and Dave and Bev have all the information you may need, and you have to register The guests at your local police station. I thought I had read up on all the facts just over a year ago but I had never come across the room sizes before , so I bought a property and then found out about the dreaded bathroom sizes and the need for a bath, needless to say my ‘shower room’ which was already newly done does not meat there criteria, so I have ended up with a property that I can’t rent out, to say I was gutted is a understatement, we will only use it a couple of times a year so that means it will just sit there. I wish I had found this forum before I bought anything, good luck with your property search at least you now know all the potential pitfalls unlike me .

Thank you so much for the warning, and so sorry to hear that your property does not qualify.  An ex-neighbour in the UK had a similar problem with renting out a property in the UK so it isn't just Spain. It is something the Estate Agents and programmes like Place in the Sun should warn you about...!

Definitely, the estate agent I used knew that my intention was to do holiday rentals , so you do have to be so careful, better to buy a property already with a license maybe 🙄

GailS - Yes, before putting down a deposit check the house complies with the basic requirements (especially on bathroom size).  Then ask at the local town hall if they are issuing compatibility certificates for that village/road/community - they may not.  

When you settle on a property pay your deposit on a property pay it to YOUR solicitors (totally independent of the estate agent) as a good will gesture but stress it is not to be handed over and nothing will be signed until the basic checks for suitability have been made - ask the vendor if they would be prepared to take the property off the market for a couple of weeks to make basic enquiries before signing anything and committing to the purchase as you have lodged your deposit with your solicitors to show you are serious.

If you can buy a property that already has a license then it is transferable.  However in years gone by licenses were issued just on people saying their property complied with requirements without checks being made, so still make the checks as you may otherwise find you have a problem in a few years time.

Licenses are taking upwards of 8 months to process, and that is after you have the certificate from the Town Hall.

Good luck.

Hi Dave

Thanks for this additional information, it is very useful. We have been to the Town Hall and the Town Hall's Architect has told us that because we are buying in an inland village (of less than 5,000 people) and the village wants (needs) more holiday lettings, and because we are looking to buy an old town house in the historic centre, that there are special rules that are more lenient about requirements. However we have been advised to get a local architect, who works with the town hall a lot, to come and inspect the property and tell us what is needed, so that is what we are going to do. Fingers crossed the house does not need too much work to get the licence. 

We were also advised that it is much easier to get a tourist licence to rent out the whole house rather than run it as a B&B, which I read in one of the links you provided, and is what we are looking at anyway. B&Bs are far too much work for us!

Something interesting that came out of the meeting is that apparently we 'may' be able to get a small grant to help with some of the updating needed such as new windows and doors, (as long as we are legal residents and that the work complies with the requirements of the 'historical centre' so basically made of wood or wood effect). We aren't counting on a grant but it I know friends in another town not far from us have been given a considerable grant to help repair the facade of their block of flats. (The other owners of the flats are all Spanish so it was one of them that found out about it).

I will do more research on the supposedly 'more relaxed' requirements for getting a tourist licence in the Valencia province but if you have more guidance it would be gratefully received. 

Many thanks for your advice.

Hi GailS - There are not many old townhouses that would meet current requirements so good to hear that they can make allowances in situations like yours.  Good also that the Town Hall recognises the benefit of having tourists stay in th, particularly on updating older properties, for those resident in Spain but always available for non-residents.  Good luck

Hi, I have one further question, how much does the Tourist Licence licence cost and is there an inspection fee or an annual fee? 

The license itself doesn't cost anything but you will need an energy certificate that is less than 10 years old, so some people have had to uy that.  Also if you use a solicitor to apply on your behalf then they will want to be paid - quotes seem to range from about €120 now.  You will also need to buy your official plaque and the official complaints forms and print off the official notice that says you have the official complaints forms.  Registration at the Guardia Civil is also free.