Tourists who have booked an apartment or a holiday home in Majorca from July onwards are “likely to be left without accommodation” as Spain braces to introduce a new wave of sweeping regulations on short-term rentals. Starting on July 1, 2025, any property advertised for short stays on platforms such as Airbnb or Booking.com must be officially registered to operate legally.
The new rules, introduced under EU Regulation 2024/1028, are designed to bring greater transparency to Spain’s rental market. The regulations will apply to all properties rented out for less than one year, including stays for tourism, work, study, or medical purposes. It is feared the latest crackdown could be costly for Spain with losses of £11.7 billion (€13.737 billion) expected to hit the economy between July and December.
The warning from the Spanish Federation of Tourist Housing and Apartment Associations (Fevitur) is alerting officials and tourists alike that the new system will lead to an increase in the black economy and a rise in illegal housing.
President, Silvia Blasco, in a statement: “Families who have booked an apartment or holiday home are likely to be left without accommodation, as a large part of the legal supply cannot be registered in the Single Digital Window system and will disappear from the platforms.
Mr Fevitur believes that this new system encroaches on the tourism powers delegated to the autonomous communities.
The organisation also went on to criticise the “arbitrariness and lack of uniformity” with which different property registries are applying the criteria for registering tourist accommodation.
Mr Fevitur added that this new framework has been promoted without “sufficient” dialogue with the sector and the autonomous communities.
Properties that do not comply by the July deadline will be removed from online platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com, with hosts risking fines, being banned from re-listing, and facing potential delays if they attempt to rejoin later.
Registration is managed through Spain’s new Single Rental Register, and all necessary documentation must be submitted via the Digital Rental Portal.
Property owners are required to provide full details about their property, including the exact address, cadastral reference, type of let, guest capacity, and proof of compliance with local regulations.