Andalusia's Tourist Licence U-Turn: A Cautionary Tale

Let me tell you a personal story that perfectly sums up the chaotic, often nonsensical world of holiday lets in Andalusia.

When I bought my place in Spain, I went through the considerable faff of getting an official tourist licence. A year or so later, we decided to stop renting it out and enjoy the house for ourselves. My first thought was to keep the licence active, figuring it was a tangible asset that would add real value to the property if we ever decided to sell. Smart, right?

Then came the letter.

It was from Aqualia, the local water company. They had been informed that the house had a tourist licence and were, therefore, promptly reclassifying the property as a commercial business. My water rate was about to triple, and to add insult to injury, I had to back-pay the higher rate for the entire period the licence had been active. Ouch.

Around the same time, the Junta de Andalucía announced a new rule: tourist licences were now tied to the owner, not the property, and were not transferable on sale.

So, let's recap: I was facing a massive, back-dated water bill for a licence that now added precisely zero resale value to my house. I did the only logical thing: I cancelled the bloody licence.

And now? Now, of course, they've reversed the ruling.

The New U-Turn: What's Changed?

As of August 2025, the rules have been changed back. According to a report in the SUR in English, the Junta de Andalucía has confirmed that a holiday rental licence is associated with the property and is included when the property is sold.

This is a huge deal. With many town halls now restricting or pausing the issuing of new licences, an existing, transferable licence has suddenly become a very valuable asset again. It could potentially add thousands to the value of a property.

Whether I would have kept my licence active and paid the commercial water rates, knowing it would be transferable, is a question I'll never get to answer. It's just another lesson learned in navigating the wonderful, infuriating world of Spanish bureaucracy.