Tourist apartments: the Registry can block your license without community vote

Key data

If you filed your tourist declaration of responsibility on April 3, 2025 or later, your homeowner community now has veto power over your activity. This has been confirmed by the DGSJFP in its Resolution of February 27, 2026, which endorses the action of the property registrar of Valencia no. 6 in suspending the assignment of the Unique Registration Number for Short-Term Rental (NRUA) to an owner who filed their declaration of responsibility on April 11, 2025, eight days after the legal threshold.

The case is clear: the Organic Law 1/2025 came into force on April 3, 2025 and introduced the obligation to obtain express authorization from the homeowner community by a majority of 3/5 in order to allocate a property to short-term rental. The affected owner tried to invoke the transitional exception, but having filed the declaration of responsibility eight days after the threshold, it did not apply to him. The Registry suspended the NRUA and the DGSJFP has ratified that decision.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution confirms three fundamental rules that affect any owner who wants to rent their apartment for tourism:

• Mandatory community authorization: If your tourist enabling title (declaration of responsibility or other) is after April 3, 2025, you need the owners' meeting to approve the activity by a majority of 3/5.
• The Registry qualifies everything: Registrars have full authority to verify compliance with administrative, urban planning and civil requirements before assigning the NRUA. It is not an automatic procedure.
• Without NRUA, without platforms: The Unique Registration Number for Short-Term Rental is essential to publish the property on Airbnb, Booking or any other short-term rental platform. If the Registry suspends it, the activity is legally blocked.
• The transitional exception has a deadline: Only owners with an enabling title prior to April 3, 2025 are exempt from this requirement. A single day difference can completely change the outcome.

Economic and operational impact

The impact is not just administrative: it is directly economic. An owner who cannot obtain the NRUA cannot legally operate on vacation rental platforms. This means:

• Blocked income: Without NRUA, the property cannot be advertised on Airbnb, Booking or similar platforms. The activity is paralyzed until you obtain community authorization.
• Dependence on the meeting: Getting the favorable vote of 3/5 of the owners can be a long process and is not guaranteed. A community can vote against it and the owner has no immediate recourse.
• Management costs: Calling extraordinary meetings, managing agreements and, if necessary, appealing decisions involves time and fees for property managers or lawyers.
• Risk of investments already made: Owners who have renovated or prepared a property for tourist use after April 3, 2025 without having previously obtained community authorization may find their activity blocked.

Who does it affect?

• Owners of apartments in homeowner communities who have started or want to start short-term tourist rental activity as of April 3, 2025.
• Real estate investors who have purchased apartments for vacation rental and file the declaration of responsibility from that date onwards.
• Managers and property management companies that process tourist licenses for third parties in buildings with horizontal property regime.
• Property administrators who must manage community votes and agreements related to this authorization.
• Legal and real estate advisors who accompany owners in the process of obtaining the NRUA.

Practical example

The case itself resolved by the DGSJFP is the best example: an owner in Valencia files their declaration of responsibility on April 11, 2025, eight days after the entry into force of LO 1/2025. They request the Property Registry of Valencia no. 6 to assign the NRUA so they can publish their apartment on vacation rental platforms.

The registrar suspends the assignment because the owner does not prove having obtained express authorization from the homeowner community by a majority of 3/5. The owner appeals arguing that the transitional exception should apply to them. The DGSJFP dismisses the appeal: the date of the declaration of responsibility (April 11) is after the legal threshold (April 3), so no exception applies. The NRUA remains suspended and the property cannot be offered on Airbnb or Booking until the requirement is met.

The solution involves calling an owners' meeting, obtaining the favorable vote of at least 3/5 of the community owners, and proving that agreement to the Registry so that the NRUA is assigned.

What should property owners do now?

1. Verify the date of your declaration of responsibility: If it is before April 3, 2025, you are in the transitional exception and do not need community authorization. If it is later, the requirement applies to you without exceptions.
2. Check if you already have the NRUA assigned: If your registration number was already assigned before the entry into force of LO 1/2025, consult with an advisor if your situation is consolidated or can be reviewed.
3. Call an owners' meeting if you don't have the NRUA yet: Request the property manager to call an extraordinary meeting to vote on the authorization of tourist rental. You need the favorable vote of 3/5 of the owners.
4. Document the agreement correctly: The meeting minutes with the favorable agreement must be properly drafted and signed to present to the Property Registry as a requirement for NRUA assignment.
5. Do not start the activity without the NRUA: Publishing the property on platforms without the registration number may constitute an administrative violation. Wait to have the NRUA assigned before activating any listing.
6. Consult a legal advisor if you have doubts about your case: The exact date of the enabling title and how it was processed can determine whether or not the transitional exception applies to you.

Official source

View complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-14961