Fines for illegal short-term rentals in 2026: how much it can cost you, by region

Why this varies so much by region

Spain doesn't have a single penalty framework for short-term rentals: each autonomous community legislates its own set of infractions and amounts. That means the same conduct — advertising without a registration number, for example — can carry very different financial consequences depending on where your property is.

What's verified with an official source

Catalonia (Llei 13/2002): minor infractions from €300 to €3,000, serious ones from €3,001 to €60,000, and very serious ones from €60,001 to €600,000 — the highest ceiling in Spain.

Andalusia (Decreto-ley 1/2025, BOJA 03-03-2025): penalties were raised to up to €600,000 for the most serious cases.

Canary Islands (Ley 6/2025): continuing to operate under an already-expired title is a serious infraction, with fines of €15,000 to €150,000.

Balearic Islands (Ley 8/2012 / Decreto 20/2015): operating without a license is penalized from €5,000.

National level — context reference: Airbnb was fined more than €64 million, a penalty upheld by the Madrid High Court (TSJ) in March 2026. It's not a fine that falls on individual hosts, but it illustrates the level of scrutiny consumer authorities are applying to platforms.

What we don't yet state with specific figures

Community of Madrid: Ley 1/1999 sets a reference range (roughly €3,000–€300,000 plus a shutdown of the activity), but we haven't yet cross-checked the exact brackets against an official source — we prefer not to state it firmly until confirmed.

Comunitat Valenciana: we didn't find specific penalty amounts in our latest check. If your property is in the Comunitat Valenciana, the test flags this with careful language instead of making up a figure.

Remaining regions: still being verified. Alertoria's golden rule is to never state a penalty amount without a cross-checked official source.

What's common across all of Spain

Beyond the financial penalty, almost every region shares two additional, frequent consequences: shutting down the activity and removing the listing, since platforms are required to demand a valid registration number. In many cases, delisting is the most immediate hit — it cuts off your bookings before any penalty procedure even arrives.

How to avoid it

If your situation with your risk of a penalty isn't clear, it's better to raise it proactively than to find out through a notice. Check it HERE in 2 minutes: free, you'll only answer 8 questions and we'll tell you where you stand on this point and on the rest of your compliance. (No account needed, no private data).

Frequently asked questions

Are fines the same across all of Spain?+

No. Each autonomous community has its own penalty framework and its own brackets. Catalonia, for example, has the highest ceiling in Spain (up to €600,000 for the most serious cases), and Andalusia also reaches €600,000 after its latest reform.

What happens if I'm fined for not having a registration number?+

It depends on the region and the severity. Besides the financial penalty, it's common for the activity to be shut down and for the listing to be removed from platforms.

Can I find out the exact amount that would apply to me?+

The test shows you the exact amount when the figure is verified for your region; if it isn't verified yet, it tells you so with careful language instead of risking giving you an incorrect number.