“My apartment has a licence. So I’m fine, right?”
That’s what we thought too. You sort out the paperwork once, and then you’re done. Aren’t you? In the Valencia region it works differently, and in El Campello the rules have become much stricter over the last two years. Whether you let your home already, want to start, or are buying or selling a property with a licence, this is worth knowing.
Our moment
When we bought our home above El Campello in 2020, a tourist licence for the apartment came with it. A nice bonus, we thought. After the purchase, the post started arriving: still in the name of the previous owner.
At the time it made little difference to us. We didn’t let the apartment officially; friends and family stayed there. But it did make us think: what if we had started letting it? Only then would we have found out that the licence wasn’t simply ours.
What the rules say
In the Valencia region (the Comunitat Valenciana), the licence is really an entry in the regional tourism register, with a number starting with VT. This is how it works, according to the official pages of the Generalitat, the regional government:
- A registration is valid for five years; after that you need to renew it.
- When there is a new owner, the rules in force at that moment apply to the property and the new owner. The new owner submits a new declaration, with a favourable report from the town hall confirming that the use is allowed under local planning rules.
- Tourist letting means stays of ten days or less.
And in El Campello?
This is where it matters. In September 2024 the town of El Campello decided to stop issuing new reports for tourist letting for one year, in apartment buildings (including commercial units in them) and in bungalows and terraced houses with shared areas or an owners’ association. In September 2025 this was extended by another year, until the new building bylaw comes into force. According to news reports from August 2026, new licences are still on hold.
What does that mean in practice? Without that report from the town hall, you can’t make a new registration. And because a new owner also needs such a report, this can affect the purchase or sale of an apartment that is let out today.
Note: the pause covers apartment buildings, and bungalows and terraced houses with shared areas or an owners’ association. According to the decisions, a detached villa is not included. At our own home, the apartment has its own front door and no neighbours, so we expect a new owner to be able to get a licence for it. But an expectation is not a certainty: the town hall’s report decides, so always have it checked.
Three homes, one plot
El Campello, Costa Blanca
A villa with an apartment that has its own front door, plus a studio. Live in it, have family to stay, or let it out: the choice is up to the new owner.
How you can approach it
- Check your registrationIs your property in the register, in your name? And when does the registration expire?
- Set a reminderRenew in good time, with an up-to-date report from the town hall.
- Buying or selling?Before you sign anything, find out whether the new owner can get the town hall report. Have your own independent lawyer check it.
- Ask the town hallDoes your type of property fall under the pause, and where does the new bylaw stand?
And then: getting booked
A licence is one thing. A full calendar is another, because there is a lot of competition. What struck us most with our own apartment: the first photo decides whether someone clicks. Light, calm and a tidy terrace do more than any well-written description.
Don’t start at your top price. Begin your first season just below the market rate.
That way you get your first bookings and reviews, and often guests who come back. Then raise your price step by step, gently. Returning guests are your best guests: they know your home, they look after it, and they often book for next year before they leave.
In our free guide Get more bookings for your home, in 7 steps you’ll find the whole plan: from your licence to direct bookings and guests who return.
Which guide is right for you?
Show your apartment at its best
We edit your photos in the same light, calm style as ours, and we can feature your rental for readers looking for a place on the Costa Blanca.
Tell me moreThis article shares our experience and what we found online. It isn’t legal advice; always check your own situation with the town hall or a professional.
Sources
- Generalitat Valenciana: autoregistro de viviendas de uso turístico (gva.es)
- Generalitat Valenciana: declaración responsable de cambio de titular o propietario (gva.es)
- Decreto-ley 9/2024, de 2 de agosto (BOE)
- Ayuntamiento de El Campello: Disciplina Urbanística news, 25-9-2025 and 30-10-2025 (elcampello.es)
- Alicante Plaza, October 2025 and August 2026
We are Oksana and Chris. In 2020 we bought our home above El Campello. We're not estate agents, but we know the way by now, and here we share what we learned along the way.
