Guide

The Supreme Court strikes down the state registry (STS 620/2026): what it means and what's still mandatory

STS 620/2026 struck down the single state short-term rental registry for overstepping into regional powers. We explain what changes and what doesn't.

Last updated: 6 Jul 2026

What happened

The Supreme Court PARTIALLY struck down, through STS 620/2026 (ruling of May 19, 2026, CGPJ press release of May 21), the single state registry for short-term rentals, created by RD 1312/2024. The ruling reasons (legal ground 5) that the state regulation overstepped into regional powers by duplicating and conditioning the registries each autonomous community already managed. The appeal was brought by the Generalitat Valenciana. In practice, the NRUA is no longer required to advertise on platforms — but that doesn't release you from anything at the regional level.

The news spread fast and has caused understandable confusion among many hosts: does this mean registration is no longer needed?

The short answer is no.

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What's still mandatory

Each autonomous community has its own competence over tourism and keeps its own registry. STS 620/2026 partially strikes down the state layer, not the regional one. In practice:

If your region requires a tourist registration number, it still does (Registro de Empresas Turísticas in Madrid, Registre de Turisme de Catalunya, RTA in Andalusia, and so on by region).
Platforms (Airbnb, Booking, and similar) are still required to request and display that regional number.
Regional penalties for operating without registration still apply just as before.

Why it was struck down

RD 1312/2024 aimed to centralize information on every short-term rental in the country into a single state system. The Supreme Court considers that centralization encroached on ground the Constitution reserves for the autonomous communities, which already had their own registries running before it. The ruling affects only that state layer.

Practical situation: what's still in flux

As of this guide, some practical effects of the ruling are still being worked out (removal or reactivation of the state registration number on listings already published, whether the first annual filing submitted under RD 1312/2024 has any consequence). We use careful language in the test for these specific nuances until there's more clarity — what's not in doubt is that your regional registration is still mandatory.

What to do now

Confirm whether your region requires registration (the vast majority do).
If you already have your regional registration number, you don't need to do anything different because of this ruling.
If you don't have it or aren't sure whether you need it, now is the time to find out — before a platform removes your listing.

The exact details for Madrid, Catalonia, Andalusia, Comunitat Valenciana, the Balearic Islands, and the Canary Islands are already verified against official sources on our region-by-region regulation pages. The rest of the regions are still being verified, and the test uses careful language in the meantime.

If your situation with your regional registration after this ruling 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).

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Frequently asked questions

Do I no longer need any registration to rent out my short-term property?+

That's not correct. STS 620/2026 PARTIALLY struck down the single state registry (created by RD 1312/2024): the NRUA is no longer required to advertise on platforms, but the regional registration — the one required by your autonomous community — is still mandatory and hasn't changed.

Why did the Supreme Court strike it down?+

For lack of state competence: the ruling reasons that the state regulation overstepped into regional powers and duplicated or conditioned the registries each region already managed. The appeal was brought by the Generalitat Valenciana.

What happens if I keep advertising without regional registration?+

You risk having your listing removed by platforms and facing penalties from your region. Striking down the state registry doesn't affect those obligations, which depend on your regional rules.

How do I know which registration I need in my region?+

The name, the competent authority, and the exact procedure vary by region. Use the test to find out what applies to you based on where your property is, or check your region's page.