Depende de la ciudad: Madrid limita con el Plan Reside la VUT dispersa en el centro (solo edificios exclusivos, 15 años máximo, sanciones de 30.000 a 190.000 €), Barcelona deja de renovar licencias con horizonte 2028, y Málaga tiene una moratoria de hasta 3 años que impide cualquier alta nueva en todo el municipio. Ninguna revoca de forma automática las licencias ya concedidas, pero todas condicionan su continuidad, y son capas de riesgo independientes del veto de la comunidad de vecinos.
Why the municipality commands more than the autonomous community
A common mistake in analyzing the viability of a tourist housing is to look only at regulations autonomous - VUT in Madrid, HUT in Catalonia, VFT / RTA in Andalucía - and give as fact that, if the community independently permitting, the project is feasible. At 2026 that's no longer so with big urban nuclei: Municipal urban planning can directly restrict, condition or veto new high in specific areas, regardless of what the autonomous regulations say. That's a risk cape. and today more decisive than ever, of the autonomous and veto leave of the neighbours.
We reviewed the three urban moratoriums with more real impact at 2026: Madrid, Barcelona and Málaga. In the three cases, the source is the official rule or communication of the town or court itself that He did.
Madrid: Plan Reside
The Reside Plan es la nueva regulación urbanística del Ayuntamiento de Madrid para viviendas de uso turístico, en vigor desde abril de 2026, y sustituye al Plan Especial de Hospedaje de 2019, cuya aplicación había resultado compleja y poco efectiva. El objetivo declarado por el propio Ayuntamiento es frenar la pérdida de vivienda residencial en el centro histórico, donde la concentración de pisos turísticos ha presionado los precios del alquiler y ha vaciado de vecindario zonas enteras.
The plan sets out two schemes:
- historic centre. The tourist flats scattered in residential buildings are prohibited, including ground floor. A change of use at exclusive buildings - where all units are intended for tourist use - and for a maximum period of 15 years, linked to the rehabilitation and restoration of the property.
- Rest of town. The urban license required for change of use with limitations to the already existing VUT density in each area.
From April of 2024 new licences were currently suspended while He did his best. That concession regime changes substantially with its current Reside Plan: earlier licences can continue to operate but they have to adapt to new conditions under the time limits set by law and an operator without a licence should regularize his or her status or cease his or her activity. The town council itself has been strengthening the number of inspectors and published an official list of VUT with license and actual location, available at your Geaport. The Measures To be exploded an unlicensed and non-compliant tourist housing range from 30.000 and 190.000 EURand can be accompanied by an order to stop activity.
Barcelona: non-renewal of licences, 2028 horizon
Barcelona has opted for a different path to Madrid: it does not stop at once but rather stop renewal existing licences as they conquer. The legal basis is the Decreto-ley 3/2023 of urgent measures concerning the urban system of housing for tourism, adopted by Generalitat de Catalunya and applicable to municipalities with tensed residential market. The rule requires leave previous urban planning to operate a VUT with a limited to five years, conditioned compatibility with residential use. Barcelona has decided not to renew a license once with a horizon that puts the end of the process at 2028 (deadline more That's 31's October 2028).
The measure has been beyond judicial supervision: Constitutional Courtand 64 / 2025, 13 March 2025and confirmed the constitutionality of the Decree and found that the regulations responded to an emergency housing situation, without violating the right to property as it limits the use of housing but does not challenge its ownership. The aim stated by The town hall is to recover more than 10.000 housing for residential use. A study of Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB), commissioned by the town council itself, believes that this recovery could reduce rental prices between a 8% and a 13,4%with an impact on GDP from the town of barely a 0,04%, as in Barcelona the 57% of licence holders are businesses or legal persons, but they are not private.
For the owner or investor with a license in Barcelona, the message is clear: No revocation a final expiry date that should be incorporated into any business plan or output valuation.
Málaga: total moratorium of new high
Málaga capital already came from a restrictive regime before the moratorium: Additional provision 3ª of the General Plan for Urban Managementand its final adoption 29 de mayo de 2025and new VUT at 43 neighborhoods that exceed 8% of density of tourist housing and limits the rest. To that we have added the 1 / 2024 Instruction of Urbanism of Málaga, demand independent access and supplies To release a VUT inside a residential building.
On that basis, the town council approved a moratorium preventing processing any new disposal of tourist housing throughout the townwith a maximum duration of tres años or until the complete amendment of the GOU is approved. The Legal basis allows town council to suspend and suspend information and statements while processing The new planning. The measure does not automatically revoke the houses already registered but the Tourism of Andalucía can cancel registration if you detect inaccurate information or lack of titles required and as a result it is necessary to conduct an audit of the documentary compliance of any currently under way.
Málaga thus combines three layers of its own - neighborhood zoning, technical demand for independent accesses and temporary moratorium - before even reaching the veto that the community of neighbours can impose State reform of the Horizontal Property Act.
Las tres moratorias, en una tabla
| City | What limits | Key date | Existing leave |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madrid (Reside Plan) | It prevents VUT from spreading into residential buildings at the centre and only an exclusive building, 15 max. | April 2026 in force and leave suspension from April 2024 | They continue to operate and have to adapt to new conditions |
| Barcelona (Decreto-ley 3/2023) | Non-renewal of VUT (HUT) licenses after his maximum 5 term | Horizonite 2028 (venc. up to 31-oct-2028) and supported by StC 64 / 2025 (13-mar-2025) | Valids up to their maturity and are not renewed |
| Málaga (GOU moratorium) | Zero new high of VUT throughout the municipality; + 8% ceiling at 43 neighborhoods + independent accesses | Aprobación DA 3ª: 29-may-2025; moratoria: máx. 3 años desde su publicación (ago. 2025) | They are not automatically revoked and have to maintain documentary compliance |
What the three cities have in common
None of these three moratoriums place or depend on the state reform of Section 17.12 of the Horizontal property, valid from 3 April 2025, that allows the community of neighbours to approve, restrict, condition or prohibit a new VUT by a majority of 3 / 5. They are cumulative and fully independent: a flat can have the good approval of its community and still be blocked by town planning or otherwise. We explain that in detail at Can your community of neighbours To ban your tourist housing?.
Nor do they affect the autonomous tourist register (VUT, HUT, VFT / RTA...), which remains the legal basis and to the European obligation to identify housing and after the annulment of the single state registration by the Supreme Court, treated at Supreme Announces Registry Unique for tourist rental.
What to do if you're in one of these three cities
- If you already have a VUT: Check with what concrete system your housing (centre or rest of town in Madrid) and date of your license expires in Barcelona and complete documentary compliance with Málaga) and anticipate the time frame for adaptation or maturity.
- If you are buying to be dedicated to tourist: Do not sign rings without a report of viability by exact direction: neighborhood, building, and status of the concrete moratorium applying to them.
- If your license is time-conditioned (Madrid 15 years, Barcelona 2028): incorporates that expiry date to any valuation of profitability or of sale of the asset.
- If you are trying to avoid completely the risk of a zonal moratorium: values other communities or municipalities without an active restriction, where the liability regime remains open.
How Bliss helps you
At Bliss Homes we do policy check by concrete direction before propose any model of management: applicable local system, status of autonomous leave and status of the local neighbours. If your housing's affected by some of these moratoriums, we'll tell you what options you have. have been effectively - including the possibility to operate in other areas of our portfolio - before committing to nothing.
FAQ
What's Madrid's Reside Plan?
It's the new urban regulations of the City of Madrid for tourist housing, currently in place since April of 2026, replacing 2019's Special Hosting Plan. In the historic centre it prohibits tourist flats scattered in residential buildings: it only allows for tourist use in exclusive buildings and for a maximum period of 15 years linked to the rehabilitation of the property. The rest of the city requires an urban license to change their use with limits depending on the density of VUT by area. The sanctions range from 30.000 to 190.000 euro.
When do they stop using Barcelona's tourist licenses?
El Ayuntamiento de Barcelona ha optado por no renovar las licencias de vivienda de uso turístico (HUT), con un horizonte fijado en 2028 (fecha límite habitual citada: 31 de octubre de 2028). La medida se apoya en el Decreto-ley 3/2023 de la Generalitat, que limitó la vigencia de las licencias a un máximo de cinco años, y fue avalada por el Tribunal Constitucional en su sentencia 64/2025, de 13 de marzo de 2025. El objetivo declarado es recuperar más de 10.000 viviendas para uso residencial.
What about the Málaga moratorium?
The town council of Málaga has approved a moratorium that prevents the processing of new outlays of housing for tourist use throughout the town with a maximum duration of three years or with the approval of an amendment to the General Plan for Urban Planning. It adds to previous restrictions: 43 "saturated" neighborhoods with VUT's 8% top and demand independent access and supplies.
Do these moratoriums affect already licensed tourist housing?
En general no las revocan automáticamente, pero sí condicionan su continuidad. En Madrid, las licencias vigentes pueden seguir operando pero deben adaptarse a las nuevas condiciones. En Barcelona, las licencias existentes no se renovarán una vez cumplan su plazo, con tope en 2028. En Málaga, la vivienda ya inscrita puede perder la inscripción si no cumple los requisitos urbanísticos y turísticos vigentes.
Do these moratoriums replace the veto of the neighbor community?
No, son capas de riesgo distintas y acumulativas. El veto de la comunidad de propietarios por mayoría de 3/5 (artículo 17.12 LPH, vigente desde el 3 de abril de 2025) es un riesgo privado que depende de cada junta de vecinos. Las moratorias municipales son un riesgo público que depende del ayuntamiento.
Is there an area without these restrictions?
Yeah. Those moratoriums are local and non-national: numerous municipalities and communities of Castilla and León, Aragon, Asturias, Cantabria and the interior of other communities have been established with an open and nonderogatory declaration and with no area cover. The serious restriction is focused on large urban nuclei with high tourist and housing pressures.
Sources: Madrid City Council, an action plan to manage housing for tourist use (ma'am. It's); Ayuntamiento de Barcelona / Institut d'Economia de Barcelona, Pla Viure; Tribunal Constitucional, sentencia 64/2025, de 13 de marzo de 2025; Ayuntamiento de Málaga, Disposición Adicional 3ª del PGOU (aprobación 29/05/2025) e Instrucción 1/2024 de Urbanismo. Este contenido es informativo; verifica siempre la normativa vigente en la sede electrónica del ayuntamiento correspondiente antes de tomar decisiones.
Check if your area's affected
We confirm for free the exact normative regime of your direction - municipal, autonomous and community - before you make any decision.