Spain's Supreme Court voids short-term rental registry as property owners demand refunds

Spain's Supreme Court has annulled the national register for short-term lettings, but a battle over reimbursement is now underway.

Property owners who paid registration fees are demanding compensation. The registry existed only briefly, but during that time it processed 467,000 applications, of which approximately 374,000 were approved. Each registration cost €27, totalling millions of euros in revenue.

The College of Registrars argues that no refunds will be issued. In their view, the court's decision has no retroactive effect, and the codes already issued remain valid. However, property law experts disagree: if the court has found the system unlawful from the outset, property owners should never have been required to pay in the first place. This is particularly relevant for those whose applications were rejected after payment.

Lawyers are already discussing collective lawsuits. The sums at stake are substantial—even at €27 per application. A final tally has yet to be drawn, but the dispute is clearly set to be protracted.