Prepare your property to be rented for a few days, weeks or months

December 2023

If you own a property in Spain and are considering renting it out as a holiday home for days, weeks or months, you’ve come to the right place. Preparing your property for holiday rental can be an excellent way to generate additional income and make the most of your investment.

It is important to be aware of the legal requirements and regulations applicable to holiday rentals in Spain. Each region or autonomous community may establish its own regulations, so it is important to make sure you comply with all local laws. To do so, it is necessary to obtain a tourist license in compliance with the safety and quality standards established in their decrees or laws.

You must first ensure that your home is in good condition, clean and available for immediate use or ready for inspections by the relevant agencies, and if necessary make any repairs or update some aspects to provide a more attractive experience for guests.

Let’s answer the most frequently asked questions!

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How do you start renting your property for tourist use?

The general requirements are:

• Obtaining a tourist rental license: It is mandatory to have a tourist license in order to market an establishment and offer it to potential customers.
• Comply with established safety and quality standards: Depending on the community where the rental is located, safety standards such as fire extinguishers, access for people with disabilities, efficient sewage disposal, and infrastructure in perfect condition, among others, are required.
• Guest registration: In most regions, it is necessary to have a guest register to submit to the municipalities as a security check.
• Documentation and contracts: It is advisable to have a contract stating the terms and conditions of the rental to guests, specifying their rights and responsibilities.

What taxes are payable for renting the property as a holiday home??

The owner or manager is responsible for ensuring that the tourist accommodation pays the corresponding taxes on the income generated. Most of them are specific local taxes:

• Personal Income Tax (IRPF): All income generated by the tourist accommodation is considered part of the owner’s taxable income and is subject to taxation. The applicable rate may vary according to the level of income or other personal circumstances.
• Economic Activities Tax (IAE): When renting the property on a regular basis for lucrative purposes in some regions it is necessary to register in the IAE and pay this tax.
• Real Estate Tax (IBI): As a property owner you must pay the IBI, a local tax levied on the ownership of real estate. Its rate is determined by the cadastral value of the property and other taxes established by the municipality where it is located.
• Value Added Tax (VAT): If you decide to offer additional services along with the holiday accommodation, such as cleaning or a breakfast included, you may have to pay VAT on those services.

What services and amenities should be offered to guests??

It is important as a host to provide clean and well-maintained accommodations. The key is to provide a comfortable and pleasant experience for guests, but depending on the community or region it is necessary to comply with a series of requirements such as:

• Cleaning: All rental properties must be in excellent condition prior to the arrival of guests. It is important in apartment rentals to offer cleaning services in bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen and other common areas.
• Bed linen and towels: Providing clean sheets, blankets, pillows and towels for guest use is a requirement in some communities. 
• Basic kitchen equipment: It is necessary to have utensils such as pots, glasses, frying pans, plates, cutlery and appliances such as microwave, toaster and coffee maker with their respective user’s guide.
• Internet connection: It is not a mandatory requirement but is considered by many guests as an indispensable service. 
• Local information: You can provide guests with a guide with information on nearby tourist attractions, as well as restaurants, public transport connections, supermarkets, fire stations, hospitals and other useful services.
• Additional amenities: For a pleasant stay you can include equipment such as television, air conditioning, heating, washing machine or dryer. These extras can make a difference.

What are the most popular platforms to advertise a holiday rental property?

Some of the most popular platforms to advertise your holiday rental in Spain are Airbnb, Expedia, Booking.com, Tripadvisor, HomeAway and VRBO. Each of these allows you to create detailed property listings with the ability to display photos, set rates and maintain communication with guests interested in making a reservation.

In each of the platforms, it is advisable to include detailed descriptions of the characteristics of your property, highlighting points of interest that may attract guests. In addition, each of the platforms has particular advantages such as:

Holidu

Holidu is a global holiday rental platform that boosts your property’s visibility through smart technology and optimisation, connecting you with a wide audience of travellers and facilitating the efficient management of your bookings in an intuitive and comprehensive environment. Among its main advantages, it also offers:

• Wide international visibility: Holidu has an extensive global presence, which means your ad will reach a large international audience of travellers, increasing the chances of bookings and occupancy for your property.
• Smart ad optimisation and distribution: access advanced technology to optimise and distribute your ad across multiple platforms and travel websites, ensuring greater exposure and visibility for your vacation rental.
• Price and availability comparison: allows you to compare prices and availability of holiday rentals on different dates and locations to make informed decisions and increase the chances of receiving bookings.
• Integration with popular booking channels: Holidu integrates with many popular booking channels such as Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo, allowing you to manage your bookings from a single platform and leverage the audience of these popular sites.
• Efficient management tools: On the other hand, the platform provides you with efficient tools to manage and optimise your listing, including the ability to synchronise calendars, manage prices and respond to guest queries quickly and effectively.
• Transparent rating and feedback system: Holidu has a transparent review and feedback system, allowing guests to share their experiences and rate your property. Good reviews can increase the trust of future guests and enhance your reputation as a host.
• Customer support and technical support: Finally, the platform also offers customer service and technical support, which means that you can receive help and advice in case of any problems or queries related to your listing or bookings.

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Airbnb

is one of the leading platforms in the rental market. It allows owners to easily advertise their properties and offers advantages such as:

• Broaden your audience through international recognition, increasing the chances of finding guests for your property.
• Intuitive and easy-to-use interface for both owners and guests. 
• You can create a detailed ad of your property with pictures and you are free to set your own rules and rates.
• Facilitates the communication of transactions between client and owner.
• You can immediately communicate the house rules and availability of dates. 
• It has a system of evaluations and comments, which provides transparency and confidence for both owners and guests. 
• You can have guests’ identification information verified, and payments are made through the platform offering greater security.

Booking.com  

Offers significant advantages for owners wishing to advertise their holiday properties. It stands out for offering:

• Global reach as it is used by millions of travellers, increasing the possibilities of renting your property.
• You can offer from hotels to apartments or holiday homes. 
• Reservation management system where you can set your own cancellation policies or adjust rates.
• 24/7 customer support and assistance.
• Loyalty programs such as Expedia Rewards, to attract potential guests.
• By publishing your property on Expedia, you can also gain visibility on other sites associated with their platform.

Steps to successfully build your holiday rental business

Business plan

Determine the type of rental you want to make, differentiating if you have a standard home:

• Rural house
• Apartment
• Housing for tourist use
• Bungalows

Then you must know its category, which will depend on the services it offers and the area where it is located. We suggest conducting a market study considering the competition and establishing a spending plan. Usually, holiday rental managers offer this type of service, guiding the process. 

Remodel the property

It is necessary to carry out the remodelling required by law and leave the house furnished for immediate use, considering aspects such as:

• Hygiene in the rooms.
• Exterior and interior cleaning.
• Appliances with user guides.
• Infrastructure in optimal conditions.

Have all the necessary documents

The owner or manager needs to have current documentation in case of inspections. The most requested documents are:

• Certificate of occupancy.
• Responsible declaration.
• Tourist license.

Establish a rate

After conducting market research and knowing the services you are going to offer in your accommodation, you can decide the rental rate competing with the prices of other facilities. The idea is to start with an irresistible price for guests.

Draw up a contract

In some of the autonomous communities, you can draw up a contract where the guest accepts the conditions of your regulations during the rental of the property for tourist use in Spain. 

• We recommend writing a contract in Spanish, English, Portuguese, Italian and French. This is an idea to avoid headaches in case of any problem with a national or international tourist.
• It establishes rules of coexistence in case of rooming in rooms.
• It establishes conditions for any damage caused by the guest where he/she is responsible.
• Includes the fee charged for rental services. 

Publish your ad

Once you have all the preventive measures in place to avoid incidents, you can proceed to publish your holiday rental on the platforms of your choice. If you want a person to be responsible you can hire a manager, and to facilitate your tasks you can purchase a Channel Manager package, which will take care of setting up reservations and scheduling calendars. 

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