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.
What happened
Royal Decree 933/2021 requires every accommodation provider, holiday rentals included, to record each traveller’s details and report them to the Interior Ministry through the SES.Hospedajes platform. The report must be filed within 24 hours of check-in and also covers booking and payment details.
The obligation applies regardless of who runs the property. If the owner has delegated operations to a manager, they remain the holder of the activity and therefore liable to the authorities.
What it means for your property in Málaga
In Málaga and the Costa del Sol, with a high turnover of short stays, filing this by hand every time a guest arrives is not realistic. One slip during a busy week can mean several late reports.
What matters is that the process depends on nobody: the guest uploads their documents before arriving, the platform validates them and sends them to SES.Hospedajes, and you receive the receipt. If the documents do not arrive, the access code is not activated.
How I handle it in the properties I manage Online check-in collects the guest’s documents before arrival and files them automatically. The owner receives the receipt in their dashboard without lifting a finger.
Summary written with the help of AI and reviewed by Brian Donneys on 15 Sept 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice.