Letting your Spanish home while you're away can help it pay for itself, and plenty of owners do it happily. But this is an area where the rules bite, and they vary a lot by region, so go in informed rather than assuming you can simply list it online and collect the income.
In this article
The legal must-knows
A few things you're required to get right:
- Licensing. Many regions require a tourist licence to let short-term, and rules govern not just letting a property but marketing it to tourists. Restrictions are tightening in many areas, and fines for letting illegally can be significant.
- Energy certificate. You're legally required to hold an energy efficiency certificate.
- Insurance. Tell your insurer you intend to let; a standard policy may not cover it.
- Tax. You must declare your rental income to the Spanish authorities.
Because the rules differ by region and change quickly, check with the local town hall or the regional government's tourism department for your specific area, and take independent legal advice if you're unsure. It's worth confirming before you buy if letting income is central to your plans, not after.
Who looks after it?
If you're not there, someone has to be. A good local property management company is, in the words of the guide, worth its weight in gold: holding keys, responding to problems, managing changeovers and cleaning, maintaining the garden or pool, and sometimes handling the utility bills. The quality of that management is what determines whether your guests have a good stay, leave good reviews, and come back, which in turn determines how much you can charge and how often you can fill it.
A buyer who lets
David, enjoying his retirement near Oliva in the Valencia region, is both a homeowner and a landlord there, balancing his own use of Spain with letting income. His experience is a useful listen for anyone weighing the same: episode 22 of the Kyero Spanish Property Podcast.
If you plan to let, design for it: think about what guests look for, and remember that a community property may have its own rules that restrict letting, so check those too.
Your checklist for this step
- Check the letting and tourist-licence rules for your specific region
- Confirm with the town hall or regional tourism department before relying on letting income
- Get an energy efficiency certificate
- Tell your insurer you intend to let, and arrange suitable cover
- Plan to declare rental income to the Spanish authorities
- Line up a reliable local property management company; ask other owners for recommendations
Let it the right way
The free Spain Buying Guide covers the legal status of holiday lets and property management in detail.
Download the free Spain Buying Guide →
Or carry on reading. The series ends where it began, with you: "We made it - this is our life now."
Written by
Nick StoreyNick Storey is the Operations Director at Kyero.com, where he leads platform operations, product delivery, and commercial strategy.
Having lived and worked in Spain for 14 years, Nick began his career as an estate agent on the south coast of Granada and brings first-hand market experience to his work.
He joined Kyero in 2007 and has since played a central role in scaling the business, shaping its product direction, and strengthening how international buyers connect with agents across Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy
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