New Legal Obligations For Large Housing Owners And Landlords In 2025

The residential and tourist rental sector is facing significant regulatory developments this year. Among them, at both the regional (Catalonia) and national levels, are the creation of mandatory registries for Large Housing Owners and certain Landlords. Below, we summarize the most relevant aspects.

Registry of Large Housing Owners (Catalonia)

In Catalonia, starting February 27, 2025, Large Housing Owners are required to register in the "Registry of Large Housing Owners" in accordance with Decree-Law 2/2025, of February 25. This is currently not in operation due to the pending approval of the regulations governing it.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, as of that date, Large Landowners are required to notify the Catalan Housing Agency of their status, as well as the number of homes they own, through the platform enabled by the Generalitat de Catalunya.

In accordance with current regulations, the following are considered Large Landowners and, therefore, must comply with these obligations:

Owners (individuals or legal entities) of 5 or more homes located in areas with a stressed residential market in Catalonia.

Individuals or legal entities that own more than 10 urban residential properties or a constructed area of ​​more than 1,500 m2 for residential use, excluding garages and storage rooms.

Legal entities that, alone or through a group of companies, own more than 10 homes located in Spain, with some exceptions.

Individuals who own more than 15 homes in Spain, or co-owners if their share of the community represents more than 1,500 square meters of land designated for housing, located within the Spanish territory, with some exceptions.

Financial institutions, real estate subsidiaries of these institutions, investment funds, asset management entities, venture capital funds, and asset securitization funds.

Failure to comply with these obligations constitutes a serious infraction, punishable by fines of €9,001 to €90,000 (Article 118.2 and 124.1.f of Law 18/2007, of December 28, on the right to housing).

Single Rental Registry (Spain)

At the national level, starting July 1, 2025, it will be mandatory for properties or parts thereof (referred to as "units") intended for short-term rentals (seasonal rentals, rural houses, tourist accommodation, etc.) and whose listings and/or bookings are made through online platforms (such as Idealista, Booking, etc.), whether this is done regularly or sporadically, or professionally or privately, to be registered in the Single Rental Registry.

Thus, if a property is to be rented through a digital platform, seasonally, and as a tourist accommodation (if the corresponding permit is available), it will be necessary to obtain a specific registration number for each rental type and subsequently provide it to the online platform.

The unique registration number must be requested by the owners or landlords of the dwellings (or their representatives) by submitting an online application to the online office of the Spanish Association of Property and Commercial Registrars. This application must include the applicant's identification details, the details of the dwelling (or the part of it to be rented), and the category (tourist or non-tourist) and type of rental for which the number is being requested (short-term rental, seasonal rental, etc.).

The required documentation must also be provided (certificate of occupancy, copy of the administrative permit authorizing the dwelling to be used as a tourist accommodation, etc.). In addition, the Property Registry will verify that there are no limitations or prohibitions that prevent the dwelling from being used under the rental arrangement for which the registration number is being requested.

Once these procedures are completed, the Property Registry will automatically and immediately assign a unique registration number for each "unit," category, and type of rental requested.

In the event of non-compliance with these regulations, the Administration may impose fines and/or restrictions on the rental marketing of the property.