Landlords & rental

Catalan Government To Launch Register Of “major Landlords” Within Three Months Under New Housing Pact

Published

4 weeks ago

May 24, 2025

SPI News

Home » Catalan government to launch register of “major landlords” within three months under new housing pact

*Palau de la Generalitat, Barcelona. Seat of the Catalan regional government*

The Catalan government has committed to activating a long-anticipated register of “major landlords” within three months as part of a broader political agreement with the radical Left, which also delays the rollout of a new tourist tax until October this year.

The announcement was made during a joint press conference on 16 May by Alícia Romero, Catalonia’s Minister of Economy and Finance, and Jéssica Albiach, parliamentary leader of the hard-left Comuns party. The deal aims to pave the way for smoother budget approval processes while accelerating key housing policies.

Key to the pact is the creation of a register of “major landlords”—owners of five or more residential properties—which must be implemented within three months. Once operational, it will allow authorities to enforce higher rates of property transfer tax and activate compliance mechanisms under Spain’s Housing Law.

Housing control measures on the horizon

Currently, measures under the Housing Law targeting major landlords—including stricter rent limits and sanction regimes—require the legal underpinning that such a register provides. Once this is in place, the regional government will be able to:

Apply increased property transfer tax (ITP) rates to large landlords.
Enforce punitive measures for non-compliance with rental rules.
Gain clearer oversight of institutional landlords in designated stressed areas.

Romero stressed the urgent need for accountability mechanisms, explaining: “This is about giving councils more capacity to govern the tidal wave of tourism and housing speculation affecting their towns.”

More than registration: tax fraud and tourist housing crackdown

The agreement also includes a new inspection and enforcement programme focused on tourist tax compliance, alongside a campaign to crack down on unregistered tourist rentals and update the registry of holiday homes.

With short-term rentals under scrutiny in many parts of Catalonia, the move signals the government’s growing intent to regulate the sector more aggressively. Many local authorities, particularly in coastal and urban areas, have linked the expansion of tourist accommodation to rental increases and housing scarcity for residents.

Both Albiach and Romero framed the agreement less as a concession and more as a “reset” of priorities. “Tourists are welcome,” Romero noted, “but they also bring challenges we must manage smartly—with infrastructure, housing and services that match Catalonia’s popularity.”

What this means for the property sector

While rental market regulation remains politically controversial, the implementation of the major landlord register marks a clear sign of Catalonia’s policy direction: tougher regulation of large-scale landlords and stronger enforcement tools in overheated rental markets.

For investors, it signals that the region is moving toward greater scrutiny of ownership profiles—particularly in municipalities identified as housing pressure zones. Those with more than five rental units may soon face steeper tax burdens and tighter operating conditions.

As tourist volumes mount and housing pressure continues, eyes will be on how effectively the Catalan government balances revenue generation, market control, and the delivery of genuinely affordable housing in high-demand areas.

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Catalan government to launch register of “major landlords” within three months under new housing pact

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Holiday rentals

Spain’s new rental registry rules are causing confusion—Do you need to register?

Published

4 days ago

June 17, 2025

admin

Spain’s new rental registry rules kick in from 1 July 2025—but do you really need to register? It all depends on how and where you advertise your property.

Like many others working in and around the Spanish property market, I’ve been trying to understand the new Registro Único de Arrendamientos (Unique Rental Registry) and Ventanilla Única Digital de Arrendamientos (Digital One-Stop Shop for Rentals) introduced under Real Decreto 1312/2024, whose provisions shall apply as of 1 July 2025. The confusion stems from a key question: Who actually needs to register?

To help clarify, I spoke with José Luis Aguilar, partner at Broseta law firm in Barcelona and an expert in real estate regulation. His answer, in a nutshell: the obligation to obtain a registration number applies if you use—or intend to use—an online platform as defined in the Royal Decree, meaning one that handles bookings and payments, or has access to data on rental activity such as number of nights and guests. Think Airbnb, Booking.com or Vrbo. But that’s not quite the end of the story.

Who must register?

According to José Luis, the regulation “applies specifically to short-term rental properties offered through online platforms that allow guests to enter into contracts at a distance with hosts.” That’s how the decree defines a ‘platform’—and it’s based directly on EU Regulation 2022/2065.

So if you advertise your holiday rental on Airbnb or a similar site that enables instant bookings or online payments, or that is in a position to collect data (number of nights and number of guests), you’ll need to register your property and obtain a unique registration number from the new system. This number must be shown in your listing from July onwards.

What if you only use listing sites like Idealista?

This is where it gets a bit murky. Many people advertise rentals on sites like Idealista or Fotocasa, which simply publish classified ads and do not allow bookings to be made online. Do those properties need to register too?

José Luis explains that, in principle, no. “Under the current legal framework, platforms that merely connect hosts and guests without facilitating direct transactions or that are not in a position to collect data related to the rental are excluded from the scope of the regulation,” he says. In fact, the property porta Idealista has publicly declared that the new obligations do not apply to them.

This interpretation has now been confirmed by the Ministry of Housing. In its written reply to Broseta’s inquiry, the Ministry stated that a platform must allow contracts to be entered into at a distance in order to fall under the obligations of the new law. If it does not, registration is not mandatory.

So do you need to register or not?

Here’s where it gets a bit more complicated—and where some caution is advised.

While the letter of the law appears to exempt rentals not advertised on qualifying platforms, José Luis warns that “any interpretation that formally fits an exclusion but undermines the intent of the regulation could be considered contrary to its spirit and even constitute a breach of law.” In other words, just because it looks like you don’t have to register doesn’t mean you’re entirely in the clear.

He also highlights that the nature of the platform matters. If it evolves to include booking functionality, even via third-party integrations, or has access to booking data (even if it doesn’t formalise contracts), it might fall back within the scope of the regulation.

What’s the safest course of action?

If you only advertise your property offline or on non-booking sites like Idealista, you are not currently required to register. But José Luis recommends erring on the side of caution: “Given the evolving nature of online platforms and the enforcement goals behind the regulation—namely transparency and combatting the black market—it may be wise to register anyway, just to be on the safe side.”

And of course, if you plan to advertise on Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo or similar platforms from July 2025 onwards, registration is not optional—it’s the law.

In conclusion

Not all holiday or seasonal rentals in Spain must register under the new system. The requirement applies to those who advertise on online platforms that enable direct booking and payment. If you don’t use those platforms, you’re probably off the hook—for now.

But this is a new regulation, open to interpretation and possible changes. As José Luis puts it: “The key is how the platform actually operates, not just how it presents itself.” Wise words to bear in mind as Spain adjusts to its latest layer of rental regulation.

Guide: Spain’s new short-term rental registry and Ventanilla Única Digital

Holiday rentals

Spain’s New Rental Registry Rules Are Causing Confusion—Do You Need To Register?

Published

4 days ago

June 17, 2025

Mark Stucklin

spain’s-new-rental-registry-rules-are-causing-confusion—do-you-need-to-register?

Spain’s new rental registry rules kick in from 1 July 2025—but do you really need to register? It all depends on how and where you advertise your property.

Who must register?

What if you only use listing sites like Idealista?

So do you need to register or not?

Here’s where it gets a bit more complicated—and where some caution is advised.

What’s the safest course of action?

And of course, if you plan to advertise on Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo or similar platforms from July 2025 onwards, registration is not optional—it’s the law.

In conclusion

Guide: Spain’s new short-term rental registry and Ventanilla Única Digital

Catalonia

Catalan Landlords Launch Association To Defend Their Rights, And Warn Of Rental Market Collapse

Published

3 weeks ago

May 30, 2025

SPI News

catalan-landlords-launch-association-to-defend-their-rights,-and-warn-of-rental-market-collapse

Landlords across Catalonia have banded together to form a new association, Som Habitatge (We are Housing), claiming their voices have been ignored in the housing debate and warning that the region’s rental market is on the brink of collapse due to policy failures and legal uncertainty.

Launched in Barcelona this week, Som Habitatge: Unió de Propietaris de Catalunya, aims to represent residential landlords across the region. It brings together over 30,000 rental properties under one umbrella and represents both major housing owners and small-scale landlords.

According to its president, lawyer Núria Garrido, the group was created to provide a “committed and visible voice” for landlords, who she says have been “criminalised” by recent housing regulations and left out of the public conversation.

“This isn’t just about landlords; it’s about restoring stability to the entire rental market,” said Garrido in a presentation at the Ateneu Barcelonès. “Both tenants and owners are victims of an administration that is failing in its duties.”

‘Alarming stress’ on Catalonia’s rental supply

The association argues that recent laws—such as rent caps based on the state’s price index and protections for vulnerable tenants—have led to a sharp decline in available rental stock. Som Habitatge claims these measures are discouraging owners from offering homes for long-term let and pushing the market toward an unsustainable imbalance between supply and demand.

A recent figure cited shows 61 applicants now compete for every rental listing in Barcelona—a stark reflection of a market choking under pressure.

Garrido highlighted judicial delays, ineffective responses to illegal occupation, and regulatory “confusion” as some of the key issues eroding landlord confidence. “The rental market in Catalonia is on the verge of collapse, and the authorities are nowhere to be seen,” she warned. “Instead of addressing these core challenges, they distract the public with misleading narratives.”

Call for legal certainty and fiscal reform

Som Habitatge is demanding “urgent and effective” political action. Foremost on their list is improving legal security for landlords, including faster eviction proceedings, more reliable enforcement against tenants in breach of contract, and greater protection from squatting.

They also call for public authorities—not landlords—to bear the cost of housing vulnerable tenants, challenging the assumption that property owners must absorb the economic and legal risks.

Additionally, the association advocates for fiscal measures to encourage home ownership, particularly for young people, and for policies that promote investment in property rehabilitation.

Seeking a more ‘balanced’ housing debate

While some critics may see the emergence of Som Habitatge as an attempt to resist regulation, the group insists its mission is constructive. “We want to be part of the solution, not the problem,” Garrido stressed.

Whether that message resonates with tenants’ associations and pro-tenant political parties remains to be seen. The debate over housing in Catalonia is fast becoming more polarised—pitting social protections and affordability against the concerns of property owners who say the current model is economically and legally unsustainable.

In a region already grappling with low availability, sky-high demand, and political pressure to deliver short-term fixes, the launch of Som Habitatge adds a new voice—and a new layer of tension—to Catalonia’s increasingly complex housing puzzle.