News · short-term rentals in Málaga
News for holiday rental owners in Málaga and the Costa del Sol
Regulation, market, platforms and tax, summarised in three lines and explained for your property. Weekly selection with the help of AI, reviewed by Brian.
A new commission will monitor Málaga's bathing water after a summer of beach closures
The regional government and six coastal councils will meet every two months to cut discharges and avoid bathing bans. Up to six beaches closed in Málaga this summer.
- The commission brings the regional government together with the councils of Málaga, Benalmádena, Torremolinos, Marbella, Mijas and Fuengirola, meeting every two months.
- Up to six beaches closed in Málaga this summer over faecal bacteria after the sewerage system overflowed during the storm on the first night of the feria.
- Only 55% of the network separates rainwater from sewage, with a target of 70%, so the risk of closures after heavy storms will still be there next summer.
Digital guest registration: what each stay must report and who is liable if it is missing
Reporting every guest's details to Spain's Interior Ministry applies to all holiday rentals. The owner remains liable, even when management is delegated.
- Details of every traveller over 14 must be reported within 24 hours of check-in.
- Online check-in platforms (Chekin, Simple Check in) do this automatically from the booking.
- Fines for failing to report fall on the property owner, so it pays to have it automated.
Trade bodies file objections to Málaga's three-year freeze on new tourist accommodation
Aehcos and AVVAPro have filed objections to the licensing freeze approved by the city council. It applies to opening new tourist accommodation in the city.
- The moratorium suspends new tourist accommodation in the city of Málaga for up to three years, so any plan to register a further property there is on hold.
- The freeze covers all lodging use: hotels, aparthotels, guest houses, hostels and regulated tourist apartments.
- AVVAPro wants the automatic inclusion of holiday-let homes in the planning category of lodging reviewed, along with the methodology behind the Tourist Pressure Index.
Caps on new holiday rentals in saturated Málaga neighbourhoods: what changes if you already hold a licence
Málaga City Council is restricting new tourist-rental registrations in high-density areas. Properties already registered keep operating, which makes an existing licence a scarce asset.
- The cap applies to new registrations, not to properties already operating with a licence.
- An active licence in a saturated area becomes a scarce asset: keep it fully up to date.
- Check every year that the Andalusian registry data matches the property as it really is.
Costa del Sol adds a million more overnight stays to July, nearing 18.4 million
The Turismo Costa del Sol bulletin, using INE data, puts January-July stays at 18,394,945, up 6.3%. Tourist apartments grew almost 30% in July alone.
- Overnight stays from January to July reached 18,394,945, up 1,089,104 on the same period in 2025.
- In July tourist apartments were up 29.8% in nights booked and campsites 17.6%, while hotels passed 77% average occupancy.
- Domestic travel grew 10.7% in July, so it pays to keep your listing and pricing sharp for Spanish guests, not only for overseas ones.
Conferences and big events: how to spot the dates that send nightly rates soaring in Málaga
An event with thousands of attendees can multiply demand in the centre for three or four nights. Dynamic pricing tools pick it up before it makes the news.
- The signal comes from bookings and searches in the area, not from the official events calendar.
- Setting prices by hand usually comes too late: the demand peak starts weeks earlier.
- A well-set minimum stay stops you giving away the key date to a one-night booking.
Single registration number: platforms hide listings that do not display it
Airbnb and Booking require the short-term rental registration number on every listing. Without it, the listing disappears from travellers' searches.
- The number is requested from the Land Registry through Spain's Digital One-Stop Shop for rentals.
- It must appear on the listing on every platform and be renewed every year.
- A listing hidden for one week in high season can cost more than a whole month of management fees.
Income tax return: which holiday rental expenses you can deduct
Short-term rental income is taxed as property income in Spain, and a large share of expenses is deductible in proportion to the days the property was let.
- Utilities, community fees, property tax (IBI), insurance, depreciation and the management fee are deductible, prorated by occupied days.
- The 60% reduction for long-term residential lets does not apply: holiday rental income is taxed in full.
- Keeping the manager's monthly invoice makes the return simple: bookings and commission are already itemised.