Spain’s supreme court annuls national short-term rental registry!

What it means for Property Owners in Spain

Guest Article by Certus Law

On 21 May 2026, Spain's Supreme Court issued Judgment No. 620/2026 — a ruling that will be felt by tens of thousands of property owners across the country, including the large and growing community of Nordic nationals who own holiday homes or short-term rental properties on the Spanish coast and islands.

The Court partially annulled Royal Decree 1312/2024, enacted by the national Government in December 2024, which had introduced a centralised national registry for short-term rental properties advertised through digital platforms. The verdict: the central State overstepped its constitutional authority.

What was the registry, and why did it exist?

The national short-term rental registry was created with an understandable goal: to curb the proliferation of illegal holiday lets on platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com, which regulators believe contribute to housing shortages in popular destinations. The Government cited EU Regulation 2024/1028 — a European framework requiring member states to harmonise short-term rental data systems — as its legal basis.

Under the December 2024 decree, any property listed on a digital platform for short-term tourist or seasonal rental would need to be registered in this new national database, alongside existing regional registries.

What exactly did the Court decide?

National registry: annulled

The central registry for short-term rentals has been struck down. The State lacked competence to create a national database that duplicates regional systems.

Digital single window: upheld

The online portal for data exchange between platforms and authorities survives the ruling and remains active. Over 11,000 illegal contracts have already been flagged through it.

Regions take full control

Housing and tourism regulation belongs to the Autonomous Communities. With the national registry gone, Andalucía, the Balearics, Valencia and others are now the sole registrars.

EU obligation remains

The EU Regulation still requires Spain to harmonise its data systems. The Court held it did not justify a parallel national registry — adaptation, not duplication, is the mandate.

A brief timeline

Apr 2024

EU Regulation 2024/1028 enters into force, requiring member states to build harmonised short-term rental data systems.

Dec 2024

Spanish Government enacts Royal Decree 1312/2024, creating the national Registro Único de Arrendamientos de Corta Duración.

Early 2025

Valencian Regional Government (Generalitat Valenciana) challenges the Decree before the Supreme Court, citing invasion of regional powers.

21 May 2026

Supreme Court issues Judgment 620/2026: national registry annulled; digital single window upheld; regions confirmed as sole competent authorities.

What does this mean for Nordic property owners in Spain?

If you own a property in Spain that you rent out short-term — whether through a platform or directly — the practical consequence is straightforward: your registration obligations now depend entirely on the Autonomous Community where your property is located.

Regions such as Andalucía, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands and the Valencian Community each maintain their own registration regimes with different requirements, fees, inspection standards, and enforcement approaches. The Ministry of Housing has already called on regional governments to step up compliance checks — so this is not a moment to assume the situation is less regulated than before. If anything, regional authorities are under pressure to fill the gap.

Platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com are already required to share listing data with the authorities via the digital single window that survived the ruling. Unlicensed listings remain exposed.

Certus Asesores is a partner to Estity and are regularly advising international property owners — including clients from the Nordic countries — on Spanish real estate, rental compliance, and corporate matters. If you are unsure whether your property is correctly registered in the right regional system and want help - let us know.

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