Valencia's new tourist flat rules: what owners can do now
Last updated: 26 September 2026
Since May 2024, new tourist licences in Valencia's residential areas had been on hold. The pause is over, and what replaced it is permanent. The tourist flat rules Valencia approved on 31 March 2026 set hard limits per neighbourhood, district and block, and decide which flats can become tourist lets at all. This article covers what changed, what it means for licence holders and would-be applicants, and what an owner can do instead or alongside: a furnished mid-term let or a long-term let.
What changed in 2026
Valencia replaced its temporary freeze on new tourist licences with permanent saturation limits that apply to every district except Ciutat Vella.
The freeze was a moratorium approved by the city council on 28 May 2024 and extended in 2025. On 31 March 2026 the council plenary gave final approval to a change in the city's general urban plan (PGOU) covering all tourist accommodation: hotels, tourist apartment blocks and tourist flats (viviendas de uso turístico). It was published in the provincial gazette (BOP) on 4 May 2026 and came into force 15 working days later, in late May 2026, taking the place of the moratorium.
Ciutat Vella, the historic centre, has its own Plan Especial with its own rules on tourist accommodation, so owners there need to check that plan rather than the figures below.
The three limits
The new rules measure tourist pressure with 3 indicators, and a new tourist flat cannot be authorised where it would push any of them over its limit.
Indicator | What is measured | Limit | Applied to |
|---|---|---|---|
Tourist beds | All tourist beds (hotels, tourist apartments, tourist flats) as a share of registered residents | 8% | Each neighbourhood (barrio) and each district |
Tourist flats | Tourist flats and tourist apartment units as a share of all homes | 2% | Each neighbourhood and each district |
Ground-floor premises | Ground-floor units in tourist use as a share of all ground-floor units | 15% | Each cadastral block (manzana) |
The figures move: they are recalculated as licences are granted or lapse, and resident and housing data are updated every year. Under the rules, the council publishes saturation maps and a public census of licensed tourist accommodation, the CATAV, on its website. A neighbourhood open today can close next month, so check the status on the day.
Which flats can still become tourist flats
Even in a neighbourhood below the limits, a new tourist flat in a residential building must be on the ground or first floor, below every home in the building, with its own street entrance and its own stairs and lift.
It may not use the residents' entrance or common areas. This rules out a new tourist licence for the typical flat on an upper floor of an apartment building, anywhere the new rules apply. Two further conditions sit on top:
Community of owners. Since 3 April 2025, Spanish law requires the prior, express approval of the community of owners for a new tourist flat: 3/5 of the owners, who must also hold 3/5 of the participation shares.
Regional registration. The Generalitat Valenciana requires a favourable municipal urban compatibility report before a tourist flat can be entered in the regional tourism register, and the registration number must appear in every advert.
Typical scenario: an owner abroad bought a third-floor flat in Ruzafa to let to tourists once the moratorium ended. That plan is now closed, because the flat is above the first floor of a residential building. The realistic choice is between a furnished mid-term let and a long-term let.
If you already have a tourist licence
A flat that already holds a valid licence and registration is not ordered to close: the new limits govern new tourist accommodation, and existing licensed flats count towards them.
Four rules matter more now than before:
Renewal every 5 years. Regional registration is valid for 5 years. To renew, a new declaration must be filed in the month before it expires, with an updated, favourable municipal compatibility report, and the flat must meet the rules in force at that moment. A registration that is not renewed is cancelled.
A sale does not pass the registration on automatically. When a registered tourist flat changes owner, other than by inheritance, the new owner must file a new declaration with a favourable compatibility report under the rules in force at the time.
Declared periods count. Each tourist flat declares the periods in which it operates, and it can be struck off the register if, during a declared tourist period, it is let as a home or on a temporary contract.
Insurance. The operator must hold liability insurance for the tourist activity. A policy limited to residential cover does not count.
If you decide to leave tourist use for good, the new rules also give tourist flats that meet certain conditions a 1-year window from May 2026 to apply to change back to residential use, provided they meet the standards for a home.
Switching to a furnished mid-term let
A mid-term let is a furnished temporary contract of 1 to 11 months (arrendamiento de temporada), and it needs no tourist licence.
Under the regional law, a let of 11 days or more to the same person is not a tourist let, and Spanish rental law (LAU) treats a seasonal lease as a separate category from a lease of the tenant's permanent home. The tenants are people in Valencia for a reason with an end date: a work assignment, a relocation, a semester, a family between houses.
Two conditions keep it on the right side of the law. The need must genuinely be temporary, with the reason and the end date in the contract; a flat that is in fact the tenant's permanent home falls under the rules for residential lets. And the flat should be marketed as a rental, not through tourist channels, because the regional law presumes tourist use when tourist channels are used. National rules may also change: as of late September 2026 the Spanish government was preparing a decree on temporary and room lets that had not yet been approved, so check the current position before signing.
For a former tourist flat the switch is usually small. The furniture is there; what changes is the standard: a desk and a proper chair, winter bedding, a full kitchen and reliable wifi matter more than a welcome basket. The checklist is in preparing a flat for the next tenant.
Or a long-term let
A long-term let is a standard residential contract under the LAU, in which the flat becomes the tenant's home for up to 5 years with a private landlord and 7 years with a company landlord.
The tenant can leave after 6 months with 30 days' notice, and the legal deposit is 1 month's rent. It suits an unfurnished or older flat, a location outside the areas expats look at, and an owner who wants a predictable figure and little involvement. The full comparison is in mid-term or long-term let: which is right for your Valencia flat.
Where Nestor fits
Nestor manages mid-term and long-term lets in Valencia for owners abroad, local owners and companies with apartment portfolios, with one team, one contract and a fixed monthly fee.
For a flat leaving tourist use, that means furniture sourcing and flat preparation; listing on the major rental portals and on Globexs, the group's platform for furnished mid-term rentals to expats and professionals; move-in and move-out with deposits and inventory; cleaning between tenancies; a 24/7 helpline for tenants; and advice on Spanish rental law. Repairs above an agreed threshold are approved by the owner before work starts. See all services and what a property manager actually does.
If the new rules have changed your plans for a flat in Valencia, send the address, the size and the current situation. You will get a written proposal with a fixed monthly fee, no visit required and no obligation. Request a proposal.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still get a new tourist licence in Valencia?
In limited cases. The neighbourhood and district must be below the 8% and 2% limits, and in a residential building the flat must be on the ground or first floor, below all homes, with its own street access. The community of owners must also approve it.
Is the moratorium on tourist flats in Valencia over?
Yes. The moratorium that began on 28 May 2024 was replaced by permanent rules approved on 31 March 2026 and in force since late May 2026. New applications are now assessed against the saturation limits.
Do the new rules close existing tourist flats?
No. They govern new tourist accommodation. An existing flat keeps operating while its licence and registration are valid, and the registration must be renewed every 5 years.
Do the limits apply in Ciutat Vella?
No. Ciutat Vella has its own Plan Especial with its own rules on tourist accommodation, and owners there need to check that plan.
Is a mid-term let a tourist let?
No. In the Valencian region a tourist let is a stay of up to 10 days by the same guest. A furnished mid-term let is a temporary contract under Spanish rental law and needs no tourist licence, provided the tenant's need is genuinely temporary.
Does my community of owners have a say?
For a new tourist flat, yes: since 3 April 2025 it needs the approval of 3/5 of the owners, holding 3/5 of the participation shares. Owners already operating under the tourist rules before that date can continue.
If I sell a flat with a tourist licence, does the buyer keep it?
Not automatically. A new owner, other than an heir, must file a new declaration with a favourable municipal compatibility report under the rules in force at that time.
Can Nestor manage my flat as a mid-term let?
Yes. Nestor manages mid-term lets of 1 to 11 months and long-term lets in Valencia, with listings on the major rental portals and on Globexs for expat and professional tenants. The fee is fixed monthly, and a written proposal is sent without a visit and without obligation.
