Tourist License in the Region of Murcia 2026: VUT, ITREM and Requirements

Note: this guide is for informational purposes only and does not replace legal advice. Tourism regulations and, above all, national tax rules are changing in 2026; always verify your specific situation with the BORM, your local council and your advisor before making any decisions.

Can I open a vacation rental in Murcia in 2026?

Yes. The Region of Murcia is one of the communities where opening a vacation rental (VUT) remains relatively straightforward: registration is completed with a responsible declaration to the ITREM and you can begin operating immediately. There is no minimum number of days that triggers tourist activity status — what defines it is advertising the property for tourist purposes — and, as of today, no municipality in the Region has passed a specific ordinance prohibiting or zoning VUTs, unlike the situation in the Balearic Islands or the major Galician cities.

That doesn't mean anything goes. Before registering, it's worth working through these steps in order:

• Homeowners' association agreement (3/5 majority) if the property is in a building divided into individual ownership units. The ITREM requires this as a mandatory document.
• Public liability insurance of at least €300,000 per incident, active for the entire duration of the activity.
• Responsible declaration to the ITREM (procedure 1890 on the CARM electronic office).
• Registration number (signatura) on all listings as soon as the ITREM assigns it to you.
• Registration with SES.Hospedajes to report guests to the Ministry of the Interior.

The legal framework, made clear

Vacation rentals in Murcia are governed by Law 12/2013, of 20 December, on Tourism in the Region of Murcia and by Decree 256/2019, of 10 October, which is the specific regulation for vacation rental properties. It's worth being clear on this: the old Decree 75/2005 (vacation accommodation) was repealed in this area, tourist apartments fall under Decree 174/2018 and rural houses under Decree 18/2020. As of October 2026, no new regional VUT decree is known to be in progress.

Decree 256/2019 recognizes two modalities: the property rented in its entirety (it is an indivisible unit: guests under different contracts cannot coexist simultaneously) and rental by room, which can only be operated by a natural person registered and effectively residing in that property. It also defines the activity by habitual practice: this is presumed as soon as advertising exists, without requiring a minimum number of days.

Step-by-step registration: responsible declaration to the ITREM

The process involves the responsible declaration under procedure 1890 ('Vacation Rental Properties: Registrations, Deregistrations and Modifications') on the CARM electronic office, managed by the Instituto de Turismo de la Región de Murcia (ITREM). In it you declare, among other things, the owner's details, the list of properties with their cadastral reference and capacity, your compliance with all requirements, and that your public liability insurance is active.

Two points worth bearing in mind:

• You can operate as soon as you submit the complete declaration. The ITREM registers your property and sends you the provisional signatura (tourist registration number) by email. Thereafter, the Inspection service may arrange a visit and issue the definitive classification within 3 months.
• The registration fee is 100% waived for those starting the activity for the first time.

If the property is in a building under individual ownership, the ITREM cross-checks with the Cadastre and requires the certificate of express community approval: the minutes of the meeting are not sufficient until the decision is final. If no community is formally constituted, a certificate from the Land Registry confirming this is accepted.

Your registration number and your listings

The property is entered in the Register of Tourist Businesses and Activities of the Region of Murcia, a public and informational register, and receives a signatura or tourist registration number that is mandatory in all advertising (Airbnb, Booking, your own website). Platforms verify it: since mid-2025, by agreement with the ITREM, listings in the Region without a valid number are taken down.

Important note on the number format: you may come across examples such as 'VV.MU.0000-0000', but that format comes from Airbnb's help center, not from any official regulation. Treat it as a rough guide: the valid number is the one assigned to you by the ITREM, exactly as issued.

On the national register: the unique NRUA number (from Royal Decree 1312/2024) was annulled by the Supreme Court in 2026 for encroaching on regional competences. In Murcia, therefore, the number that counts for listing your property is the ITREM signatura; you do not need the NRUA.

Property requirements (Decree 256/2019)

• Single category, with no stars or keys.
• Public liability insurance of at least €300,000 per incident, active throughout the entire period of activity.
• Capacity as established by the occupancy license or equivalent, with a maximum of 10 places.
• A responsible contact with a visible telephone number inside the property (in Spanish and English) and an assistance service.
• A plaque or badge showing the signatura, displayed visibly at the entrance.
• Fire extinguisher and first-aid kit, plus emergency telephone numbers (112) written in several languages.
• Fully equipped kitchen (refrigerator, hob, oven or microwave, washing machine, kitchenware) and bedrooms meeting the minimum floor areas set out in the decree.
• Complaints forms available to guests, with the corresponding notice posted.

The decree does not require you to submit the occupancy certificate or license at registration, but it does refer to it to establish capacity: keep it to hand in case of an inspection.

Can the homeowners' association block it?

Yes, and their authorization is now a prerequisite. Since the reform of the Horizontal Property Act that came into force on 3 April 2025: to start a vacation rental in an apartment building you need the express agreement of three-fifths of the owners; with that same majority the community can restrict, condition or prohibit the activity, and impose a surcharge of up to 20% on the shared costs payable by the tourist property. Those who were already operating legally before the reform may continue. In Murcia this requirement is built into the registration process: without the community certificate, the ITREM will not process the declaration.

The municipal filter: less restrictive, but check with your local council

Local councils can regulate tourist use through urban planning, and any plan that provides for tourist use must pass through a report by the regional tourism body. Situation in the main municipalities as of October 2026:

Important: the absence of results does not prove that no municipal regulation exists, and the planning frameworks in Cartagena and La Manga are under review. Before buying or renovating, always request a certificate of urban planning compatibility for your specific property from your local council. In addition, the Region has not declared any tensioned residential market zones, which currently spares you from potential IBI surcharges linked to them. To compare with other regions, see our guide to vacation rental regulations by region.

Day-to-day obligations

• Guest registration (SES.Hospedajes): prior enrollment and reporting of bookings and guests to the Ministry of the Interior within a maximum of 24 hours, retaining the data for 3 years (Royal Decree 933/2021).
• ITREM signatura visible on all listings.
• Admission form before check-in (with signatura, responsible contact, price and dates), signed by the guest and kept for one year.
• Reference check-in/check-out times: check-in at 17:00 and check-out at 12:00, unless otherwise agreed.
• Prices are freely set but must be advertised with taxes itemized; any security deposit, if requested, must be returned within a maximum of 3 days.

Taxes: what you need to know

• Income tax (IRPF): without hotel-type services, you pay tax on income from property capital, deducting allowable expenses (IBI, community fees, utilities you cover, insurance, platform commissions, depreciation) in proportion to the days rented. The primary residence rental reduction does not apply to tourist rentals. If hotel-type services are provided during the stay, it becomes a business activity.
• VAT: currently, rental without hotel services is exempt; with services, 10% applies. There is a national reform that would introduce 10% VAT on stays of 30 nights or fewer from 1 December 2026 (RDL 29/2026), but it is pending parliamentary ratification (vote expected on 16 October 2026) and may not pass; treat it as likely, not certain.
• Tourist tax: the Region of Murcia does not have a regional tourist tax or known municipal surcharges.
• IBI: there is currently no specific surcharge for vacation rentals in the Region. The national reform would allow surcharges only in tensioned zones, and Murcia has none declared.

Penalties: the cost of non-compliance

Operating without submitting a responsible declaration is a serious infringement. Penalty ranges under Law 12/2013:

Operating without a responsible declaration, in addition to the fine, means you cannot continue the activity once proceedings are opened. And take note: the absence of valid public liability insurance is directly classified as a very serious infringement. The ITREM has stepped up online inspections and has identified more than a thousand irregular properties in recent years. In neighbouring Andalusia, inspectors likewise cross-check data with the tax agency, the land registry and the platforms, as we explain in our guide to Andalusia's vacation rental regulations.

What should you do now?

• If you already have a license: keep the signatura on all listings, your public liability insurance active and SES.Hospedajes up to date; these are the areas most frequently inspected.
• If you don't have one yet: gather the community certificate (if applicable) and the insurance policy, then submit your responsible declaration; with a currently permissive municipal planning environment, Murcia is one of the regions where you can start operating legally most quickly.
• If you're buying a property 'with a license': confirm the registration in the ITREM register, the insurance policy, the community agreement and that no open proceedings exist.