The Valencia City Council has approved new regulations that impose the strictest controls on tourist accommodations in Spain. The measures, aimed at curbing the proliferation of illegal tourist flats and hotels, will come into effect from 1 July 2025 with the launch of a special digital counter.
Under the new rules, no new hotels or tourist apartments will be allowed in key neighbourhoods such as Ciutat Vella and Poblat Marítims, according to the regional newspaper Levante. The regulations include five key measures designed to limit the growth of tourist accommodation and protect residential communities.
Tax incentives for residential conversion
One of the main strategies is to cap the number of hotel rooms and tourist flats to 8% of the registered residents or 2% of total homes in each district. To encourage a return to residential use, the city council will offer tax incentives for converting tourist flats back into regular housing. The ordinance aims to regulate the 12,000 existing tourist flats, the majority of which operate illegally.
Safeguarding residential communities
To prevent entire buildings from being dominated by tourist rentals, the regulations limit tourist homes to 5% of the total apartments per block. Additionally, only 15% of commercial spaces within residential blocks can be dedicated to tourist accommodation, ensuring that 85% remain available for businesses like offices, restaurants, bars, and shops.
Enforcement and inspections
In neighbourhoods where legal limits have already been exceeded, such as Ciutat Vella and Cabanyal, no new tourist accommodations will be permitted. While legal tourist flats will remain unaffected, illegal properties will be subject to inspections and closures. The municipal council has already issued 500 closure orders for non-compliant properties.
Discrepancies in tourist accommodation numbers
Official city council records list 1,800 licensed tourist accommodations. However, the “Transparent” platform estimates the real number to be around 11,600. Meanwhile, the Generalitat’s Department of Tourism manages 5,800 registered apartments. According to municipal sources, “The strictest regulations for tourist use in Valencia aim to put an end to the almost 12,000 tourist apartments in the city, the vast majority of which are illegal.”
Digital counter to monitor compliance
City councillor Juan Giner stated that the new ordinance is designed to protect residents, prioritise residential use, and promote local commerce. To enforce these measures, the city will implement a digital counter starting on 1 July to monitor and address discrepancies between legal and illegal properties. However, opposition parties have expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the new regulations.
Balancing tourism and community needs
Valencia’s move to tighten regulations reflects growing concerns over the impact of mass tourism on local communities. The new measures aim to strike a balance between supporting tourism and maintaining the city’s residential character, ensuring that Valencia remains a livable city for its residents.
Also read: Valencia cracks down on unregistered tourist homes