Holiday Rental Licence Valencia: The ETV Guide for Foreign Owners 2026

If you are buying a property in the Comunidad Valenciana with plans to rent it short-term, you need an ETV registration — Empresa de Tourisme Valenciana — under Decree 10/2021 and its 2024-2026 amendments. The licence is regional, but the obstacles are mostly local: Valencia city and several Costa Blanca municipalities have introduced moratoria on new ETV registrations in specific zones, and the community of owners can also vote to block tourist rental in your building. None of this shows up on the property listing.

What Is the Valencia ETV Licence?

The ETV is the regional permit that authorises a residential dwelling in the Comunidad Valenciana to be rented to tourists for stays of less than 30 consecutive days. It is governed by Decreto 10/2021 of the Generalitat Valenciana, modified by Decreto-ley 9/2024 which tightened the requirements significantly.

• The ETV applies to vivienda de uso turístico (residential property used for tourism). Apartamentos turísticos (commercial tourist apartments) and casas rurales operate under separate licences.
• A property without an ETV cannot legally be advertised for tourist stays in the Comunidad Valenciana. Each advertisement must display the ETV number issued by the Registro de Turismo de la Comunitat Valenciana.
• Long-term residential rental under the LAU (≥1 year) and seasonal contracts under the Código Civil (typically 2–11 months) are separate regimes and do not require ETV — but the distinction is policed strictly. Renting nightly under a “seasonal” label is the most common source of inspection fines.

ETV Licence Requirements: What the Property Must Meet

For ETV registration, the property must satisfy each of the following:

• A Licencia de Primera Ocupación or current Cédula de Habitabilidad.
• A Compatibilidad Urbanística certificate from the municipality — this is the 2024 change that catches most foreign buyers. The municipality must certify in writing that tourist-rental use is compatible with the urban plan for the property’s specific address. In moratorium zones, this certificate is refused, blocking the ETV regardless of the property’s habitability.
• Minimum habitability standards under Decreto 10/2021: full bathroom, kitchen with cooking equipment, sleeping for the declared capacity, working heating, refrigeration where summer averages exceed thresholds.
• A civil liability insurance policy covering tourist-rental operation.
• The exterior identification plate with the ETV number.
• Compliance with the Royal Decree 933/2021 guest-registry obligations (data transmission to the police within 24 hours of check-in).

The Moratorium Problem (Valencia city, Benidorm, Alicante coastal)

This is the layer that makes Valencia different from Andalucía or Catalonia. Several municipalities have introduced moratoria on new ETV registrations in specific zones, in some cases blocking new registrations for years.

• Valencia city (capital): the Plan Especial de Protección in the Ciutat Vella, Russafa, El Cabanyal and other central districts has frozen new ETV registrations for residential buildings. New ETVs are only granted for purpose-built tourist properties in compliant zones.
• Benidorm, Calpe, Altea: zoned moratoria in residential areas where tourist-rental saturation has been declared.
• Alicante city: case-by-case municipal review with declared zonas tensionadas where ETV grants are paused.

A property in a moratorium zone may have been legally registered before the freeze (existing ETVs are usually grandfathered), but a new owner cannot count on transferring the existing registration if the moratorium was tightened after the original registration. The municipal Compatibilidad Urbanística certificate will reveal this.

The Community of Owners Problem

As in the rest of Spain since Law 12/2023, a community of owners in the Comunidad Valenciana can vote by a three-fifths majority (of owners and of share quotas) to prohibit tourist rental in their building. The prohibition binds all current and future owners once lodged in the Registro de la Propiedad. A community vote to ban tourist rental can be more decisive than a municipal moratorium — it cannot be appealed except for procedural defect.

For buildings built before 1980 in central Valencia, central Alicante or established Costa Blanca developments, the probability that a community has already voted against tourist rental is high. Always check the community minutes for the last three years and the current statutes BEFORE you sign.

Before you buy a property in the Comunidad Valenciana with rental in mind, CostaLuz Lawyers’ QuickLease service runs the Rental Compliance Pre-Purchase check across all four legal levels — community vote status, municipal moratorium and Compatibilidad Urbanística, regional ETV qualification, and registry compliance. 1.000€ + IVA. Reviewed by María Luisa de Castro.

Learn more about QuickLease → · Email us the property details · Response in 24 hours.

How to Apply for an ETV Licence in Valencia

The ETV application is a declaración responsable lodged through the Generalitat Valenciana portal, but with the 2024 amendments it now requires the municipal Compatibilidad Urbanística certificate as a prerequisite document. Steps:

1. Obtain the municipal Compatibilidad Urbanística certificate for the property’s specific address. This is the step that catches moratorium-zone properties.
2. Gather the rest of the documentation — title deed, Licencia de Primera Ocupación, civil liability insurance, ID, property description with declared capacity.
3. Submit the declaración responsable through the Generalitat portal.
4. Receive the ETV registration number (format: ETV/XXXX-V for Valencia province, ETV/XXXX-A for Alicante, ETV/XXXX-CS for Castellón).
5. Install the identification plate and update advertisements with the ETV number.
6. Configure guest-registry transmission to the police per RD 933/2021.

Time from start to ETV number: typically 4–8 weeks if the property qualifies and is not in a moratorium zone. The Compatibilidad Urbanística step is the bottleneck.

What to Check Before Buying a Property to Rent in Valencia

Before signing the escritura, verify all of the following — in writing:

• Community-of-owners status: any vote in the last three years prohibiting tourist rental? Pending vote on the agenda? Restrictive clauses in current statutes?
• Municipal status: is the property’s address in a declared moratorium zone? Has the municipality issued a Compatibilidad Urbanística certificate, or refused one, for this property previously?
• Regional ETV status: is there an existing ETV registered against the property? Was it suspended or revoked? Does the property meet the habitability requirements?
• Registry status: any restrictive clauses lodged at the Registro de la Propiedad against tourist use?

These four checks are exactly the scope of QuickLease. In Valencia specifically, the municipal moratorium layer is where most foreign buyers get blocked — and it is the layer hardest to spot from the listing alone.

How CostaLuz Lawyers Can Help

CostaLuz Lawyers has advised international property buyers in the Comunidad Valenciana since 2006. For ETV and tourist-rental compliance specifically, we:

• Run the QuickLease four-level pre-purchase check.
• Obtain Compatibilidad Urbanística certificates from the municipality before purchase, so you know whether the ETV is actually achievable.
• Lodge the ETV declaración responsable on behalf of clients who are not Spanish residents.
• Review and, where necessary, challenge community-of-owners votes that are procedurally defective.
• Handle the full conveyance under a personalised quote.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an ETV licence to rent on Airbnb in Valencia?

Yes. Any property advertised for tourist stays under 30 days in the Comunidad Valenciana requires ETV registration. Airbnb is one of the platforms required to display the ETV number; listings without one are removed and the operator is fined.

Why does Valencia city have a moratorium on new ETV licences?

Valencia city’s moratorium responds to housing-affordability pressure in central districts (Ciutat Vella, Russafa, El Cabanyal) where short-term rentals had outstripped long-term residential supply. The municipal Plan Especial de Protección paused new ETV registrations in these zones to allow stock to return to the residential market.

Can my community of owners block my ETV in Valencia?

Yes. Under Law 12/2023, a three-fifths qualified majority of owners and share quotas can prohibit tourist rental in the building. The prohibition binds all current and future owners and is enforceable against the ETV — the registration becomes operationally useless even if granted.

How long does it take to get an ETV in Valencia?

4 to 8 weeks for properties that qualify, with the Compatibilidad Urbanística certificate being the bottleneck. Moratorium-zone properties cannot get the certificate and therefore cannot register a new ETV.

What is the penalty for renting without an ETV in Valencia?

Fines under Decreto 10/2021 range from €600 for minor infractions to €600,000 for serious or repeated infractions (multiple unlicensed properties, refusal to inspect, false declarations). Platforms that host unlicensed listings can also be fined directly.

Can I rent my Valencia property seasonally instead of tourist?

Possibly, but the line between “seasonal rental” (under the Código Civil) and “tourist rental” (requiring ETV) is policed strictly. Marketing nightly stays as “seasonal” to avoid the ETV is one of the most common sources of inspection fines. Seasonal contracts must be for definite, non-tourist purposes (e.g. a student term, a temporary work assignment) and must not be marketed on tourist platforms.

This article was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed and approved by María Luisa de Castro prior to publication. Last reviewed: May 2026. This article provides general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice. For personalised advice tailored to your specific property and situation, please book a consultation with our team.

Reviewed by María Luisa de Castro, CostaLuz Lawyers