Supreme Court cancels Spain's national holiday rental register

On 19 May 2026, in ruling 620/2026, Spain's Supreme Court annulled the single national register of short-term rentals. Royal Decree 1312/2024 had created that register, and it had been in force since July 2025. Under it, owners had to get a registration number from the Land Registry before they advertised a holiday let or seasonal let on a platform.

The court found that the State did not have the power to set up a register of its own, because the regions are the ones that regulate these rentals. The court upheld part of the appeal brought by the Valencian regional government. The register goes. The national digital window stays. Platforms pass on their data through that window.

The ruling does not change regional or town rules. In Andalucía a holiday let must still be entered in the regional tourism register, and town halls can limit where holiday lets are allowed. Málaga city, for example, stopped new holiday-let registrations across the whole city for up to three years from 23 August 2025.

What it means for buyers

If you buy a home to let to holidaymakers, three things still decide whether you can: the regional registration, the town hall's rules for that street, and the rules of the building's community of owners. Have your lawyer confirm all three in writing before you commit. Do not assume the seller's registration passes to you.