Housing authorities have ordered the removal of more than 1,200 advertisements for illegal tourist accommodations in Torrevieja, as part of a nationwide crackdown on unregistered short-term rentals. Alicante province is among the areas most affected by the measure within the Valencian Community.
The Ministry of Housing and the Urban Agenda has notified online rental platforms of the existence of 86,275 illegal tourist and seasonal rental properties across Spain, including 14,387 in the Valencian Community, and has instructed platforms to remove the corresponding listings.
According to Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez, the affected properties failed to obtain the mandatory registration number required for short-term rentals, placing them in breach of current regulations.
Following notification, digital platforms are required to remove the listings without delay, as many of the properties may be advertised simultaneously on multiple platforms, the Ministry noted.
Torrevieja Among Municipalities with Highest Number of Rejections
At the municipal level, Torrevieja ranks among the municipalities with the highest number of rejected registration applications, with 1,240 homes denied authorization for tourist use.
This places the coastal town among the localities with the most revoked applications nationwide, alongside major cities and established tourist destinations such as Madrid, Barcelona, Marbella, and Seville.
Within the Valencian Community, Valencia city also recorded a high number of rejections, with 1,874 applications denied, making the region the second most affected in Spain, after Andalusia.
Stricter Oversight of Short-Term Rentals
Of the 412,253 registration applications processed across Spain, 320,620 (78%) correspond to tourist rentals, while 91,608 (22%) relate to seasonal rentals.
The Ministry highlighted the case of the Community of Madrid, where 83% of applications concern seasonal rentals, a proportion significantly higher than the national average.
Since July, short-term rental properties nationwide have been required to hold an official registration code, issued by the Property Registrars and shared with rental platforms through the Digital Single Window, in order to be legally advertised.
