Can a community of owners ban tourist rentals?
If you are buying a flat in Spain to let to tourists, the community of owners may already have a say. Three different rules in the Horizontal Property Law (Ley de Propiedad Horizontal, "LPH") apply, and they answer three different questions. This guide keeps them apart. It describes the law as it stands and does not say whether any particular flat may be let: that depends on the flat's own documents and on regional, municipal, planning and community rules.
"The activity" below means the activity referred to in Article 5(e) of the Urban Leases Act, under the applicable tourism-sector rules. For its content, refer to the text of Article 5(e) in force on the date you rely on it.
1. Can the community restrict or prohibit it? Article 17.12 LPH
By an express resolution, the community may approve, limit, condition or prohibit the activity. The resolution needs the favourable vote of three-fifths of all owners who, in turn, represent three-fifths of the participation quotas. Such resolutions have no retroactive effect.
"El acuerdo expreso por el que se apruebe, limite, condicione o prohíba el ejercicio de la actividad a que se refiere la letra e) del artículo 5 de la Ley 29/1994, de 24 de noviembre, de Arrendamientos Urbanos, en los términos establecidos en la normativa sectorial turística, suponga o no modificación del título constitutivo o de los estatutos, requerirá el voto favorable de las tres quintas partes del total de los propietarios que, a su vez, representen las tres quintas partes de las cuotas de participación.""Estos acuerdos no tendrán efectos retroactivos."2. Does a new activity need the community's approval first? Article 7.3 LPH
Since 3 April 2025, an owner who wants to start the activity must first obtain the express approval of the community of owners, under the terms of Article 17.12.
"El propietario de cada vivienda que quiera realizar el ejercicio de la actividad a que se refiere la letra e) del artículo 5 de la Ley 29/1994, de 24 de noviembre, de Arrendamientos Urbanos, en los términos establecidos en la normativa sectorial turística, deberá obtener previamente la aprobación expresa de la comunidad de propietarios, en los términos establecidos en el apartado 12 del artículo diecisiete de esta Ley."3. What about activity that began before 3 April 2025? Second additional provision LPH
An owner who was already carrying on the activity before that date and had previously registered under the sectoral tourism rules may continue, but only under the conditions and time limits those rules set.
"Aquel propietario de una vivienda que esté ejerciendo la actividad a que se refiere la letra e) del artículo 5 de la Ley 29/1994, de 24 de noviembre, de Arrendamientos Urbanos, con anterioridad a la entrada en vigor de la Ley Orgánica de medidas en materia de eficiencia del Servicio Público de Justicia, que se haya acogido previamente a la normativa sectorial turística, podrá seguir ejerciendo la actividad con las condiciones y plazos establecidos en la misma."This transitional provision protects the position of an owner who was already carrying on the activity before 3 April 2025 and had previously complied with the relevant tourism-sector rules. It does not, by itself, automatically give a purchaser the benefit of that owner's transitional position. Following a sale, the position must be verified separately, including the relevant community, tourism-sector, municipal and planning requirements.
What a buyer should check
Whether the flat's own file shows the activity was registered before 3 April 2025 and on what conditions; what the community's statutes and minutes say; and the regional, municipal and planning rules that apply. The answer can differ from one flat to the next.
Fuentes: Ley de Propiedad Horizontal (arts. 7.3, 17.12 y disposición adicional segunda, BOE-A-1960-10906); Ley Orgánica 1/2025 (BOE-A-2025-76); LAU art. 5.e) en su redacción vigente (BOE-A-1994-26003).