Renting Out Property in Andalucía: VFT Licence Requirements 2026

If you plan to rent a Spanish property in Andalucía to tourists, the short answer is yes — you almost certainly need a VFT licence (Vivienda con Fines Turísticos). The longer answer is that the VFT licence alone is not enough: the property must also clear the community of owners’ rules, the municipality’s local restrictions, and the regional registry. A property with a paper VFT can still be legally un-rentable if any one of the other three layers blocks it.

What Is the Andalucía VFT Licence?

The VFT is the regional permit that authorises a residential property in Andalucía to be marketed to tourists for stays under two months. It is governed by Decree 28/2016 (and its 2024-2026 amendments tightening community rights, document requirements, and registry-side enforcement).

• The VFT applies to residential dwellings, not to apartamentos turísticos (which are commercial tourist apartments under a separate regime).
• A property without a VFT cannot legally be marketed for tourist stays. Listing it on Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo, or any platform requires the platform to display the VFT registration number.
• Long-term residential rental (LAU) and seasonal contracts under the Código Civil are governed separately and do not require a VFT — but if you advertise nightly or weekly stays to tourists, VFT is the regime that applies.

Only the owner (or someone with explicit owner authorisation) can register a VFT. The registration is tied to the property, not to the operator, so when a property changes hands the new owner must re-register or transfer the VFT.

VFT Licence Requirements: What the Property Must Meet

To qualify for a VFT registration in Andalucía, the property must hold or satisfy each of the following:

• A Licencia de Primera Ocupación (or Licencia de Ocupación / Cédula de Habitabilidad depending on the municipality). A property without this licence is not legally occupiable for any use and cannot be VFT-registered.
• The minimum habitability conditions in Decree 28/2016: direct natural ventilation, refrigeration when summer averages exceed regional thresholds, working heating in months below 12°C average, and a fully equipped bathroom and kitchen.
• A civil liability insurance policy covering the operation of the property as a tourist rental.
• The mandatory exterior identification plaque with the VFT registration number, visible at the entrance.
• An updated libro de visitas (guest registry) submitted to the Guardia Civil or Policía Nacional within 24 hours of each check-in, per Royal Decree 933/2021.

The property must also be registered in the regional Registro de Turismo de Andalucía. Registration is not just a courtesy — under the 2024 amendments, properties not in the registry can be removed from listing platforms on Junta-de-Andalucía request.

The Community of Owners Problem (the deal-killer)

This is the layer that catches foreign buyers most often. Since Law 12/2023 modifying the Ley de Propiedad Horizontal, a community of owners can vote to prohibit tourist rental in their building by a qualified majority of three-fifths of owners representing three-fifths of share quotas. The prohibition binds all owners — including future owners — and it does not need to be unanimous. Once recorded in the community’s statutes and lodged in the Registro de la Propiedad, it is effective against third parties.

What this means in practice:

• If you buy a property in a community that has already voted to ban tourist rental, the VFT licence you obtain is paper-valid but operationally useless. The community can demand removal of listings and seek injunctive relief.
• The vote requires a 3/5 majority — far easier to achieve in coastal-resort communities where year-round residents resent rotating tourists.
• The ban can be retroactive in effect (it applies to future rentals, but a property that was being lawfully rented before the vote cannot continue after the vote unless grandfathered in the community minutes).

Verifying the community’s voting history and current statutes BEFORE you sign the purchase deed is exactly the first of the four levels QuickLease checks. A property that looks perfect on the listing can be a legally un-rentable asset within months of a vote you didn’t know was coming.

Before you buy a property in Andalucía with rental in mind, CostaLuz Lawyers’ QuickLease service runs the Rental Compliance Pre-Purchase check — community vote status, municipal permission, regional VFT qualification, and registry compliance, all four levels. 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 a VFT Licence in Andalucía

The VFT application is a declaración responsable (self-declaration) lodged through the Registro de Turismo de Andalucía online portal. Steps:

1. Gather the documentation — title deed, Licencia de Primera Ocupación, IBI receipt, civil liability insurance certificate, ID of the owner, and a description of the property’s capacity.
2. Submit the declaración responsable through the Junta de Andalucía portal. The registration is immediate in effect (the property can be listed once the registration number is issued), but it is provisional pending inspection.
3. Receive your VFT registration number (format: VFT/MA/XXXXX for Málaga province, VFT/CA/XXXXX for Cádiz, etc.). This number must appear on every advertisement.
4. Install the identification plaque at the property entrance.
5. Be prepared for inspection — the Junta has up to four years to inspect and confirm the declaration. Non-compliance discovered at inspection can result in cancellation of the registration and a fine.

The administrative cost of the application itself is modest (under €100). The real cost is the documentation work and any remediation needed if the property does not meet the habitability or licence-of-occupation requirements.

What to Check Before Buying a Property to Rent in Andalucía

Before signing the escritura, ask your lawyer to verify all of the following — in writing:

• Community-of-owners status: has the community voted to prohibit tourist rental? Is there a pending vote? Are there restrictive clauses in the community’s estatutos already lodged in the Registro de la Propiedad?
• Municipal compliance: does the municipality have its own restrictions on top of the regional VFT regime? Some municipalities (Granada, Málaga capital, Cádiz capital) have moratoria on new tourist registrations in specific zones.
• Regional VFT qualification: does the property meet the habitability requirements? Is the Licencia de Primera Ocupación in order, or is there a segregación irregular in the property’s registral history that needs to be cured?
• Registry status: is there an existing VFT registered against the property by the previous owner that needs to be cancelled or transferred?

This four-level check is the QuickLease scope. It is the only check designed specifically for the pre-purchase window — once you own the property, restrictions discovered at any of the four levels cannot be reversed.

How CostaLuz Lawyers Can Help

CostaLuz Lawyers has been advising international property buyers in Andalucía since 2006. For VFT and tourist-rental compliance specifically, we:

• Run the QuickLease four-level pre-purchase check (community, municipality, region, registry).
• Draft and lodge the VFT declaración responsable on behalf of clients who are not Spanish residents.
• Review and challenge community-of-owners votes that are procedurally defective (e.g. failure to meet the 3/5 quorum, failure to notify all owners).
• Coordinate with the Registro de la Propiedad to clear segregation or licence-of-occupation issues that block VFT qualification.
• Handle the full conveyance under a personalised quote — no percentage charges. If you believe a lawyer overcharged you on a past matter, see how to formally challenge excessive legal fees in Spain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a VFT licence to rent on Airbnb in Andalucía?

Yes. Any property advertised for stays under two months for tourism purposes in Andalucía requires VFT registration. Airbnb is one of the platforms required to display your VFT number; listing without one risks the platform removing your listing and the Junta levying fines.

Can my community of owners block me from getting a VFT licence?

Yes. Under Law 12/2023, a community of owners can vote by a three-fifths majority to prohibit tourist rental in the building. Once recorded in the community statutes, the prohibition binds all current and future owners — your VFT registration becomes operationally useless even if the Junta issues it.

What is the penalty for renting without a VFT licence in Andalucía?

Fines under Decree 28/2016 and the Ley de Turismo de Andalucía range from €2,000 for minor infractions to €150,000 for serious infractions (typically: operating multiple unlicensed properties or refusing inspection). The Junta can also order the property to stop being marketed and require the listing platforms to delist it.

How long does it take to get a VFT licence in Andalucía?

The declaración responsable takes effect immediately upon online submission — you can list the property the same day the VFT number is issued. The administrative back-end inspection may follow up to four years later. If the declaration was inaccurate, the registration can be revoked retroactively and fines applied.

Does a VFT licence transfer when I buy a property?

A VFT registration is tied to the property and the registered owner. When ownership changes, the new owner must either request a transfer of the existing VFT or submit a fresh declaración responsable in their name. Buying a property “with VFT already in place” does not give the new owner the right to operate without re-registering.

What is the difference between VFT and long-term rental in Andalucía?

A VFT covers tourist stays (typically under two months, marketed to tourists, hotel-like service). Long-term rental under the Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos (LAU) covers residential leases of one year or more and does not require a VFT — but it also cannot be marketed nightly. Seasonal rentals (between two months and the LAU one-year threshold) fall under the Código Civil and require a separate analysis. Mixing the regimes — for example, marketing a property as long-term but actually renting it nightly — is a frequent source of inspection fines.

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

Alongside the VFT licence, see how short-term rental registration works in 2026.