By means of Real Decreto 1312/2024, the national government of Spain introduced the Unique Rental Registration Number (NRUA), an individualised code that has been mandatory since 1 July 2025, issued by the Single Register of Tourist and Seasonal Rentals. Royal Decree 1312/2024 established a single registration procedure, via the Land Registry and the Single Digital Window for Leases, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the collection and exchange of data relating to short-term accommodation rental services.
In practice, since the entry into force of Real Decreto 1312/2024, it has not been possible to publish an advertisement for a property to let on the relevant online platforms without the NRUA, as these platforms were obliged to remove advertisements for properties that did not have this number. It should be noted that the NRUA has superseded the licensing and numbering or identification systems of the regional registers that existed in numerous autonomous communities prior to the entry into force of the Real Decreto.
However, Judgment 620/2026 of 19 May 2026, handed down by the Administrative Chamber of the Supreme Court, has annulled, following an appeal lodged by the Valencian Regional Government, the provisions of the Royal Decree relating to the single register of tenancies, on the grounds that the imposition of a centralised register of tenancies encroaches on the powers of the Autonomous Communities and that, furthermore, European Union regulations do not require the registration system to be national. The registration of tourist rentals is, in the eyes of the Supreme Court, an administrative procedure, the exercise of which therefore falls within the remit of the autonomous communities, as part of their task of controlling who may carry out a specific activity subject to a licence.
"The regulation establishes a nationwide registration procedure requiring the registration, by way of a marginal note in the Land and Movable Property Register, of properties or parts thereof intended for short-term rental, as advertised on an online platform. It regulates the procedure, the documentation to be submitted, the method of submission, the automatic allocation of a registration number by the Registrar, the subsequent assessment by the Registrar to enter the marginal note, and the subsequent procedures in the event that there are defects in the application or documentation which are not rectified. It also sets out the effects of such registration or the absence thereof.
This regulation exceeds the State’s powers in relation to economic activity and overlaps with existing regional registers concerning the registration of properties intended for tourist rentals".
(Judgment 620/2026, of 19 May).
- What happens now?
With the abolition of the single national register, duplicate registrations will be eliminated and the number or licence issued by the autonomous community (and/or local authorities) where the property covered by the licence is located will continue to apply. Nor will it be necessary to submit the annual rental declaration to the single register.
The Real Decreto will remain valid in relation to the digital one-stop shop, the coordination of service points and the data transmission obligations of platforms for statistical purposes.
- Can I claim back the costs incurred in obtaining the NRUA?
Yes, the fees paid to the Land Registry are recoverable. Furthermore, applicants whose NRUA applications were rejected may now seek to have that procedure declared null and void and claim compensation for the damages caused by the direct application of the Real Decreto.