In 2025 every owner who advertised a holiday let in Spain had to get one more number: the NRA (número de registro de alquiler), issued by the Land Registry under the national single rental register. In May 2026 Spain's Supreme Court annulled that register. Many owners in Torrevieja have since asked us the same question: if the NRA is gone, what do I actually need to rent my apartment to tourists legally?
The short answer: the national number is gone, but the Valencian rules were never part of that case, and they still apply in full. This guide walks through what changed, what didn't, and what to check on your own property.
What the Supreme Court decided
The national register was created by Royal Decree 1312/2024. From 1 July 2025 it required a registration number for every short-term and seasonal rental advertised on platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com. Several regions objected that tourist housing is a regional matter. The Generalitat Valenciana took the decree to court.
In judgment 620/2026, reported on 21 May 2026, the Supreme Court agreed that the State had no power to create a national register that duplicates the regional ones. It annulled the provisions that created the registro único and its number. It kept the Ventanilla Única Digital, the digital single window through which platforms send rental data to the authorities, along with the platforms' data-sharing duties (idealista).
In practice:
- You no longer need to apply for an NRA number, and you don't have to show one in your listing.
- Platforms still report rental activity to the authorities, so an unregistered listing is no harder to spot than before.
- What lets you rent to tourists in Torrevieja is, as before, your regional tourist registration.
What still applies in the Valencian region
Holiday lets in the Comunitat Valenciana are governed by Decree 10/2021 on tourist accommodation, as amended by the housing decree-law that came into force on 8 August 2024. The Generalitat's own owner FAQ, last updated on 16 October 2025, sets out the rules below (Generalitat Valenciana FAQ, PDF).
1. A registration in the Tourism Registry (your VT number)
To let a property to tourists you file a declaración responsable online through the Generalitat's self-registration procedure. Once the regional tourism office checks it, the property gets a registration number. That number is your licence to operate. It must appear on the official plaque by the door and in every advert for the property during the period you declared as tourist use.
2. A favourable municipal compatibility report
Every new registration needs a favourable informe municipal de compatibilidad urbanística from the town hall, confirming that tourist use is allowed at that address under local planning rules. Some towns on the Costa Blanca have temporarily suspended these reports while they draft new local rules, so check with the town hall before you buy a property with rental plans.
3. Stays of 10 nights or fewer
Under the Valencian definition, a tourist let means the whole property, let to the same guest for 10 nights or fewer. Rooms cannot be let separately, and advertising room rentals in a registered tourist home is a very serious offence. If you sign a longer contract during the period you declared as tourist use, you must update your operating period first, or the registration can be cancelled.
4. Renewal every 5 years
Registrations are no longer permanent:
| Registered | Renewal due |
|---|---|
| Up to 7 August 2024 | 8 August 2029 |
| From 8 August 2024 | 5 years after the registration date |
You renew in the month before the expiry date, with a new declaration and, for most properties, an updated compatibility report. If you miss the date, the property is removed from the Registry. If a property was registered before August 2024 and hasn't changed hands, it also has until 8 August 2029 to meet the new minimum requirements of the decree, such as having internet in the property.
5. Your building's permission
Since 3 April 2025, under the amended Horizontal Property Law, a flat in a building can only become a new tourist let with the express approval of three-fifths of the owners, holding three-fifths of the shares. Your declaration also has to state that neither the building's statutes nor any community agreement limit the property to residential use. A certificate from the community's administrator is one way to prove this.
6. New owner, new declaration
If you bought a registered property on or after 8 August 2024, the registration does not simply pass to you. You must file a change-of-owner declaration with a fresh favourable compatibility report. Bear this in mind if you are looking at an apartment sold "with tourist licence": the licence is only as good as the new paperwork.
7. Guest registration
Guest details still have to be reported to the Ministry of the Interior through the SES Hospedajes system under Royal Decree 933/2021. This has nothing to do with the NRA ruling.
A quick checklist for your property
- Find your registration number and the date you registered. Work out your renewal date from the table above.
- Check that the number appears in every listing: Airbnb, Booking.com, your own website.
- If you registered after 8 August 2024 or bought after that date, keep your compatibility report and community certificate somewhere you can find them. You will need an updated report at renewal.
- Check how long your bookings run. If you want winter guests staying a month or more, declare those months outside the tourist period or use a seasonal contract. Don't mix the two.
- Make sure every guest is registered with SES Hospedajes.
We handle registration, renewals and guest reporting for the owners we work with. If you aren't sure whether your apartment is set up correctly, send us the address and we'll check it. Our tourist licence guide covers the registration process itself step by step.
Frequently asked questions
Do I still need an NRA number for my Airbnb in Torrevieja?
No. The Supreme Court annulled the national single rental register in May 2026 (judgment 620/2026), so owners no longer need to obtain or display an NRA number. You still need your registration in the Tourism Registry of the Comunitat Valenciana, and that number must appear in your listings.
Is my Valencian tourist licence affected by the ruling?
No. The case was about the national register. The Valencian Tourism Registry, the municipal compatibility report and the 5-year renewal rules are regional and still apply in full.
When do I have to renew my tourist registration?
Properties registered up to 7 August 2024 renew by 8 August 2029. Properties registered from 8 August 2024 renew five years after their registration date. You file the renewal in the month before the expiry date.
Can I rent my apartment for a month in winter?
Yes, but not as a tourist let. Valencian tourist lets are limited to 10 nights per guest. A longer stay is a seasonal rental, and it must fall outside the period you declared as tourist use in the Registry.