Madrid Imposes Strict Restrictions on Short-Term Rentals
Ринки 31.03.2026 18:27
According to Open4Business, Madrid authorities are tightening restrictions on short-term rentals, focusing on removing tourist apartments from residential buildings and relocating part of the city’s hotel supply to non-residential and industrial zones. This follows from official documents from the Madrid City Council regarding the RESIDE plan and subsequent decisions on its implementation.
The RESIDE plan, presented by the city government in November 2024 and finally enacted in August 2025 following approval by the Madrid Regional Government, served as the primary source of these changes. The plan prohibits the placement of tourist apartments in residential buildings in the city’s historic center, including ground floors with separate entrances, while in the rest of Madrid, such activity is permitted in residential buildings only if the entire building is dedicated to this purpose. At the same time, licenses for this type of operation outside the central zone are issued for 15 years, after which the property must revert to residential use.
The city government justifies the stricter rules as a measure to protect the permanent housing stock. According to the RESIDE plan itself, the number of tourist apartments in Madrid has doubled since 2017, reaching 16,100, while only about 7% of such properties held a legal license. At the same time, 42% of all tourist apartments in the city are concentrated in the central district.
At the same time, Madrid’s authorities have begun promoting an alternative model for accommodating tourists and visitors. On March 5, 2026, the city council announced that it is preparing a special plan that will allow for the establishment of aparthotels, flex living, and other short- and medium-term accommodation formats on over 240 sites across eight districts, primarily in industrial zones with an already established commercial function. City officials emphasize that the goal of this measure is to decentralize tourist flows and remove short-term accommodations from traditional residential neighborhoods.
Thus, Madrid is not merely restricting short-term rentals but is restructuring the entire model of tourist accommodation: housing in residential buildings is receiving stricter protection, while new accommodation formats are being directed toward non-residential areas and specialized sites. Given the pressure tourism exerts on the housing market in Spain’s capital, this policy appears to be one of the strictest among major European cities.
Теги: Madrid housing rentals Переглядів: 75
