In February 2026 the Junta de Andalucia removed 13,037 properties from its official tourism register in a single sweep, and Malaga province absorbed the heaviest blow with 4,731 cancellations. If you own a holiday rental on the Costa del Sol, this is the clearest signal yet that the era of informal, unlicensed letting is over. The rules have not just tightened, they are now being enforced with real consequences.
Here is what actually changed, why so many listings disappeared, and the practical steps that keep your property earning legally through 2026 and beyond.
Why were 13,000 listings removed?
The cull was not random. It targeted properties that were either never properly registered, were operating with incomplete documentation, or sat in zones where tourist use is no longer permitted. Two pieces of legislation gave the regional government its teeth: Decree 31/2024 and the Housing Emergency Decree Law 1/2025. Together they allow local councils to suspend tourist rental licences for up to three years and to block new registrations automatically in saturated areas.
The message from Andalucia is consistent. Tourism is welcome, but it has to share the streets with residents, and properties that cannot prove they are compliant will be struck off without much ceremony. Owners who relied on the old habit of listing first and sorting paperwork later are exactly the ones who lost their registration.
What licence do you actually need in 2026?
Every short-term let in Andalucia needs a tourist licence registered with the Registro de Turismo de Andalucia, which issues a VFT code that platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com now verify before a listing can go live. Getting that code in 2026 involves more than a quick form. You will need:
- A municipal urban compatibility report (informe de compatibilidad urbanistica) from your town hall confirming tourist use is allowed in your specific zone.
- Proof of habitability, usually a first-occupancy licence or an equivalent certificate.
- For any property inside a community of owners, a certificate confirming the community vote described below.
This is the documentation that most of the 13,037 removed listings could not produce. The town hall report in particular catches owners by surprise, because a property can be perfectly habitable and still sit in a zone where tourist letting has been restricted.
How does the 60% community rule affect you?
Since 3 April 2025, under Organic Law 1/2025, registering a new tourist rental inside a community of owners requires a favourable vote from three-fifths (60%) of the owners, who must also represent at least 60% of the participation shares. You then need a certificate from the community secretary or administrator confirming that approval, and you submit it with your registration. If your community statutes already prohibit tourist rentals outright, no licence can be issued at all.
For Costa del Sol owners this is the single biggest practical hurdle. We cover it in depth in our guide to the 60% community vote rule, but the headline is simple: secure your neighbours' approval in writing before you spend a euro on furniture or photography.
What about the national register that was scrapped?
There has been genuine confusion here, so it is worth being precise. In Judgment 620/2026 of 19 May 2026 (announced 21 May), the Supreme Court of Spain struck down the national registration system (the NRUA) created by Royal Decree 1312/2024, ruling it an overreach into regional powers. Your Andalusian registration number is the only one your listing needs.
The national register is gone, but the regional licence is not. Your Andalucian VFT code remains mandatory, and platforms still verify it.
In short, one layer of bureaucracy was removed, but the layer that matters most on the Costa del Sol, the regional licence, is fully intact and more strictly checked than ever. Our full breakdown of what changed is in this article on the scrapped national register.
Can you still get a new licence in Marbella and Malaga?
It depends on exactly where your property sits. Malaga city has stopped granting new tourist apartment licences until roughly 2028. Existing, legally registered properties may keep operating as long as they stay compliant with every tax and administrative obligation.
Marbella is different. Marbella has no blanket cap or freeze, but every application is checked against the urban plan and, in shared buildings, needs a three-fifths community vote (Organic Law 1/2025, since 3 April 2025; existing lets not affected). So an apartment in Nueva AndalucĂa or San Pedro de Alcántara may qualify while a similar unit nearby does not, depending on its planning status and its community. This is why owners increasingly check eligibility before they buy, not after. Our licence freeze guide maps which towns are still open.
Owners who cannot secure a tourist licence often switch to a long-term let of 12 months or more, which needs no tourist licence at all. That can still be profitable, but it is a different business with different returns, and it should be a deliberate choice rather than a fallback after a rejected application.
How Premavista keeps owners on the right side of the rules
Compliance is now the foundation of every successful holiday let on the Costa del Sol, not an afterthought. At Premavista we manage every property as a fully licensed VFT operation, handle the town hall and community paperwork, and keep each registration current so a listing is never exposed to removal. A licensed home earns its income legally, and it keeps earning it when the inspections come.
Premavista is an established boutique agency led by husband and wife Roderick and Anastasia with their own team. Our fee is 20% of net rental income plus 21% IVA, with no setup costs, and that includes the regulatory work most owners find the most stressful. If you are unsure whether your property is compliant under the 2026 rules, or whether your zone still permits tourist letting, the safest first step is a quick conversation.
Start with a free rental assessment of your listing, explore our full vacation rental management service, or message us directly on WhatsApp at +34 600 543 173. The crackdown has removed 13,000 competitors from the market. With the right paperwork, that is an opportunity, not a threat.
