Short-term rental lawyer in Madrid
Case-by-case analysis of the Special Lodging Plan, the suspension of licences in rings 1, 2 and 3, the regional reform of Decree 79/2014 and sanction proceedings brought by the Community of Madrid and Madrid City Council.
Analyze my case without obligationTourist-use dwellings in Madrid
In Madrid three layers of regulation coexist and must be read together: the Special Lodging Plan (PEH), approved in 2019, which divides the centre into three concentric rings; the licence suspension agreed by the City Council in April 2024 for scattered VUT in residential use within those rings; and the regional reform of Decree 79/2014 by Decree 27/2026 of 25 March, which creates the Certificate of Suitability for Tourist-Use Dwellings (CIVUT).
Since April 2025 there is also the three-fifths majority requirement in homeowners’ associations, and Decree 27/2026 allows by-laws to expressly ban VUT. The first thing to check is which PEH ring the property is in, because that determines whether a licence can be processed today. Outside the rings the suspension does not apply, but urban planning, regional and habitability requirements remain enforceable.
Licence and zoning
Checking the PEH ring, the licence suspension and the planning and habitability requirements that apply to the property.
View information →Decree 27/2026 and CIVUT
Review of compliance with the regional reform of Decree 79/2014 and the Certificate of Suitability for Tourist-Use Dwellings.
View information →Tourist and planning sanctions
Defense in the two sanction routes that can overlap on the same property: the regional tourism route and the municipal planning route.
View information →Appeals
Administrative appeal (alzada or reposición) and, where appropriate, contentious-administrative proceedings before the competent court.
View information →Two different sanction routes
Under the regional tourism route, serious infringements are punished with fines of €3,001 to €30,000 and very serious ones with fines of €30,001 to €300,000, with possible ancillary sanctions such as suspension or closure of up to five years and cancellation of the entry in the Register of Tourism Businesses. Decree 27/2026 also subjects tourist rental platforms to the sanction regime when they breach certain rules.
Under the municipal planning route, the City Council acts when it finds that a property operates as a VUT without the required planning authorisation. After an ignored cease order, coercive fines are €30,000, €60,000 and €100,000 for the first, second and third final sanction if the activity continues. Correct classification is decisive: in February 2026 the Madrid High Court (TSJ) annulled a €30,001 fine for wrongly classifying the infringement, so no sanction should be assumed to be lawful without reviewing the file.
How we work on your case
1. Review the documentation
We analyse notices, case files, registrations, listings and the evidence available.
2. Identify the legal issue
We determine which rules apply and which points may matter for the defense.
3. Define the course of action
We assess submissions, appeals or court action depending on the specific case.
4. Follow-up
We accompany the procedure and any subsequent steps through to its resolution.
Frequently asked questions
Rings 1, 2 and 3 of the PEH have had the granting of licences for scattered VUT in residential use suspended since April 2024. Outside that area the suspension does not apply, although planning, regional and habitability requirements remain enforceable. The location should be checked against the official municipal map.
It amends Decree 79/2014 and, among other changes, creates the Certificate of Suitability for Tourist-Use Dwellings (CIVUT), allows homeowners’ associations’ by-laws to expressly ban VUT and subjects platforms to the sanction regime when they breach certain rules.
Since April 2025 a three-fifths majority is required for certain decisions on tourist-use dwellings in horizontal property. Registered by-laws and adopted resolutions must be reviewed case by case.
Under the tourism route, €3,001 to €30,000 for serious infringements and €30,001 to €300,000 for very serious ones, with possible ancillary sanctions such as suspension or cancellation of the registration.
If a property operates as a VUT without the required planning authorisation, the Council may order cessation and, if ignored, impose successive coercive fines of €30,000, €60,000 and €100,000. Both routes can coexist on the same property.
Yes. Viability depends on the classification, the evidence and the deadlines. In February 2026 the Madrid High Court annulled a fine for incorrect classification, which shows the importance of reviewing the whole file.