Holiday rental licence in Mallorca: what buyers need to know

In practice, a new holiday rental licence in Mallorca is now only within reach for detached, semi-detached and terraced houses in a zone approved for it – and only if the owner acquires the required tourist places. Flats in apartment buildings have been excluded across the Balearic Islands since April 2025. New places currently come only from a pool fed by deregistered rentals and allocated by lottery.

If you are buying a villa or finca to let, you therefore need to know beforehand whether and how the property is registered, and whether that registration passes to you. This guide reflects the position on 21 September 2026.

What the licence is and where it comes from

It is usually called the "ETV licence" (estancia turística en vivienda) or simply the rental licence. Legally it is not a permit but a notification: the owner files a declaration of commencement of tourist activity (DRIAT) with the Consell de Mallorca and is entered in the island register. The register number issued at that point is what people mean by "the licence".

Three laws set the framework:

• Ley 8/2012 on tourism in the Balearic Islands, in particular Article 50. It has been amended many times, including by Ley 6/2017, which tied holiday lets to approved zones and purchased places.
• Ley 3/2022, which suspends the purchase of new places and private exchanges of places in Mallorca until the island's tourist carrying capacity has been assessed, with narrow exceptions.
• Decree-law 4/2025 of 11 April 2025, in force since 16 April 2025 and ratified by the Balearic Parliament: a ban on new lets in apartment buildings, temporary pools of places and higher fines.

Detached house or flat

Since Decree-law 4/2025, no new declarations may be filed anywhere in the Balearics for homes held under horizontal property (propiedad horizontal, roughly the Spanish equivalent of a strata or commonhold scheme). The only exceptions are semi-detached and terraced houses and letting your own main residence. The ban applies to new registrations; it says nothing about lets already registered.

For a villa or finca, three forms are relevant:

The five-year term is only extended if the owner notifies the renewal in time and the house still meets every requirement, including still lying in an approved zone. Otherwise the registration lapses automatically.

Beyond zone and places, the law requires among other things a valid habitability certificate (cédula de habitabilidad), at least five years of residential use before registration, an energy rating of at least F (built up to 2007) or D (from 2008), separate water and electricity meters, and liability insurance. The whole house is always let, for no more than 30 nights per stay.

Zones in Mallorca and Palma's own rules

New registrations are only possible in an expressly approved zone. Outside Palma, Mallorca has applied a provisional zoning by the Consell de Mallorca since July 2018. It distinguishes, among others:

• Protected rural land (sòl rústic protegit): no new holiday lets; the law also excludes it.
• Common rural land: single-family houses year-round or for 60 days, under the zoning only where the first-occupation licence was granted before 28 July 2018.
• Saturated coastal resorts – named are Palmanova-Magaluf, Santa Ponça, Peguera and the part of Platja de Palma outside Palma: only the 60-day form.
• Other coastal and inland towns: year-round or 60 days, depending on the town.

The town hall confirms which zone applies to a plot with a "zona apta" certificate; without it, no places are allocated.

Palma sets its own zones. According to press reports, in May 2026 the city gave final approval to closing its entire municipal area to new holiday lets, including detached houses, while existing registrations remain unaffected. We have not verified an official publication of this. If you plan to buy and let in Palma, have the current position confirmed by the Ajuntament de Palma.

Tourist places, the pool and the moratorium

Every holiday let needs "tourist places" matching the number of beds. In Mallorca the open purchase of new places is suspended until the Consell sets the island's carrying capacity. As an interim measure, Decree-law 4/2025 created a temporary pool fed only by places from deregistered accommodation – so every new place requires one to be given up elsewhere.

Mallorca's first allocation ran in 2026 through the Consorci Borsa d'Allotjaments Turístics (CBAT): 1,069 places, 711 admitted applications, and a public lottery on 8 June 2026. According to the published list, around 160 applications received places. Only one application per property was allowed.

Official prices per place:

• Single-family house, permanent purchase: €3,500 – so €35,000 for a house with ten places
• Semi-detached or terraced house under horizontal property: €875
• Main residence, up to 60 days a year: €291.67

Places from this allocation may not be passed to third parties for five years. Once allocated, the owner has three months to file the declaration; otherwise the places return to the pool without refund. Adding beds to a house that is already let also requires new places.

What happens to the licence when you buy

The registration is tied to the property. The new owner must notify the Consell of the changed details; the register records both owner and operator. Several points can block or devalue the transfer:

• Unpaid fines: a change of ownership is not recorded while a final fine remains unpaid.
• Dormant lets: if the seller has not let the property for three consecutive years, the authority can cancel the registration permanently. The Consell is currently required to review such cases.
• Time-limited forms: for ETVPL and ETV60 the clock keeps running; ETV60 also has to be the new owner's main residence.
• Older registrations: houses registered under the previous 2005 law as holiday homes need a quality accreditation valid for no more than six years, which has to be renewed.
• Bed numbers: only the places in the registration may be let.

If the seller would rather deregister and move the places to another property, that is only possible in Mallorca in the cases the law lists, with deadlines of a few months.

Obligations once you let

• Register number in every advert: every listing, including on platforms, must show the property's tourist register number. Platforms must require it and share liability.
• EU Regulation 2024/1028: since 20 May 2026, platforms across the EU must display and verify registration numbers and run spot checks wherever a member state has introduced a registration procedure.
• Spanish national register: the state Registro Único de Arrendamientos had been a condition for listings since 2025. In May 2026 the Spanish Supreme Court annulled its core provisions because the state had exceeded its powers; the digital data channel for platforms remains. The Balearic register number is unaffected.
• Guests and services: guest registration with the police, cleaning, linen and maintenance, and a written ban on parties in the rental contract.

What happens if you let without a licence

Letting without a declaration, in a zone that is not approved, without purchased places or in a building type that is not allowed counts as a very serious infringement. Since April 2025 the fines have been:

Owners, letting agents and platforms can be held liable together, and additional penalties go as far as closing the property. Fines are cut by 80% if the owner accepts responsibility and makes the home available for affordable housing for at least five years. Between January and July 2026 the Consell de Mallorca opened 146 proceedings, 40% more than in the whole of 2025.

Checklist before you buy

1. Have the Consell de Mallorca confirm the register number, the type of registration (ETV, ETVPL, ETV60, older holiday home) and the number of places.
2. Check whether the property is held under horizontal property and, if so, whether it counts as semi-detached or terraced.
3. Establish the zone: "zona apta" certificate from the town hall, and the current position in Palma.
4. Ask for evidence of letting over the last three years.
5. Rule out unpaid fines and open proceedings against the property.
6. Check the habitability certificate, energy rating and meters.
7. If you plan to extend, find out whether additional places can be obtained at all.
8. Have a lawyer cover the transfer in the purchase contract before you sign.

For the purchase process as a whole and the costs involved, see our guides on how to buy property in Mallorca and on costs and taxes.

Questions and answers

Can I still get a new holiday rental licence in Mallorca?

For a detached, semi-detached or terraced house in an approved zone, in principle yes – but only with places from the temporary pool, which are allocated by lottery. For flats in apartment buildings, no longer, except as your main residence for up to 60 days.

How much does a holiday rental licence cost in Mallorca?

The registration itself is a declaration; the main cost is the places. From the pool, one place for a single-family house costs €3,500.

Does the licence pass to me when I buy?

The registration is tied to the property, and the change of owner is notified to the Consell. It cannot go through while final fines are unpaid, and a registration can be cancelled after three years without letting.

Do I still need the Spanish national registration number?

The Supreme Court struck down the national registration in May 2026. The Balearic tourist register number remains mandatory and must appear in every advert.

Talk to us

Unisono Luxury Homes is an estate agent, not a legal adviser. If you are looking for a property to let, tell us when you get in touch; we will gather the seller's documents so that you and your lawyer can check the licence position before you buy.

Buy property in Mallorca · Villas for sale · Contact

This guide does not replace a legal review of the individual case. Information as of 21 September 2026. Have the licence position of any property checked with the Consell de Mallorca or by a lawyer before you buy.