Fast Summary
- The Spanish Ministry of Housing has requested removal of over 4,700 illegal tourist apartments from online rental platforms in Alicante province.
- Alicante holds 63% of all illegal tourist rental listings revoked in the Valencian Community.
- Top municipalities with revoked listings include Valencia city,Torrevieja,Dénia,Alicante,and Benidorm.
- New government digital registry system launched January 2025 has processed over 336,000 applications nationwide.
- About 20% of tourist rental registration requests have been revoked for not meeting legal requirements.
Spanish Government Cracks Down on Illegal Tourist rentals in alicante
The Spanish Ministry of Housing has taken a major step to combat illegal tourist rentals by asking online platforms to remove over 4,700 listings of unlawful tourist apartments in the province of Alicante. These apartments failed to obtain the required registration number that has been mandatory as July 1, 2025, under new national regulations.
Why Were These Listings Revoked?
the government’s registro Único de Alojamientos Temporales (unique Registry for Temporary Accommodations) has been set up to combat fraudulent tourist rentals by requiring all short-term rental properties to officially register and obtain a valid code. If the registration is revoked, it means the application was incomplete, incorrect, or non-compliant, and the landlord did not correct it in time.
Focus on Alicante Province
although the problem exists across Spain,the Valencian Community sees a especially high concentration of illegal listings,with Alicante province accounting for nearly 63% of all illicit tourist rental listings revoked in the region.Here’s a breakdown of revoked listings by municipality:
| Municipality | revoked Listings |
|---|---|
| Valencia | ~1,754 |
| Torrevieja | 700 |
| Dénia | 538 |
| Alicante City | 528 |
| Benidorm | 470+ |
Provincial Totals of Revoked Registrations
- Alicante: 4,724 revoked registrations
- Valencia: 1,754 revoked registrations
- Castellón: 1,010+ revoked registrations
The Online Platforms’ Role
Various popular rental websites and digital platforms listing tourist apartments must now remove all ads of unregistered or illegally registered apartments. Many of these properties were advertised simultaneously on multiple platforms, increasing the challenge of enforcement. The government’s new digital one-stop portal aims to streamline oversight and reduce rental fraud by offering a central registry for hosts and platforms to verify legality.
New Registry System Displays Early Results
As launching on January 1, 2025, Spain’s new registry has received more than 336,000 applications for short-term accommodation registrations nationwide, approximately 80% related to tourist rentals. of those,about 20%,or almost 54,000,have been revoked for failing to meet the necessary criteria.
What This Means for Renters and Hosts
- Renters can feel more confident booking approved, legally verified properties, improving safety and consumer protections.
- Hosts must ensure compliance with registration requirements or risk losing online visibility and facing penalties.
- Online platforms now play a critical role in maintaining a legal marketplace by actively monitoring and removing unauthorized listings.
Looking ahead
The Ministry of Housing’s move signals a firm commitment to regulating Spain’s booming tourist rental market, particularly in hotspots like Alicante. This initiative will likely expand as digital tracking and enforcement tools improve, aiming to protect local communities, tenants, and legitimate property owners from fraudulent activities.
For tourists planning a visit to Alicante or the wider Valencian Community, this crackdown should result in a safer, more reliable rental market backed by official government oversight.
Source: Todo Alicante – Minister of Housing orders removal of online illegal tourist apartments (Sept 2025)
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