What is the fine for letting a flat to tourists without a licence in Catalonia?

Question

José Manuel Alburquerque · Accepted Answer

The Catalan tourism act treats it as a serious or very serious infringement, depending on the case. It is serious to offer or advertise the flat without the tourist authorisation (“título turístico”) when it meets the requirements to obtain one, with a fine of 3.001 to 60.000 euros. It is very serious to do so when the flat does not meet those requirements, with a fine of 60.001 to 600.000 euros. In addition to fining, the authorities can order the activity to cease and the advertisements to be withdrawn. Liability lies with the owner, with anyone who runs the flat without owning it and with whoever markets or manages it. What infringement it is and what fine it carries The tourist authorisation is what is obtained by filing a prior notification with the town council, as explained in the question on how to apply for a holiday let licence. If it is missing, Law 13/2002 on tourism in Catalonia distinguishes according to the flat's situation: It is serious to offer or advertise it without the tourist authorisation if it meets the requirements to obtain one and the application has simply not been made. The fine ranges from 3.001 to 60.000 euros. It is very serious to offer, advertise or let it if it does not meet the requirements to obtain the authorisation. The fine ranges from 60.001 to 600.000 euros. Also serious, among others, are advertising a holiday let without the registration number or with an incorrect number, offering it by rooms and failing to withdraw advertisements without a number when the authorities so order. Reoffending increases the fine. If another infringement of the same kind is committed within a year of a previous one that has been penalised with no further administrative appeal available, the new one can be punished as one of the next category up. In Barcelona, according to the criteria published by the City Council, letting a flat to tourists without authorisation is in principle treated as very serious. It is only classed as serious if several conditions are met at the same time, such as advertising a single flat that is the principal residence of the person letting it, not owning any other property in the city, not being a repeat offender and ceasing the activity and withdrawing the advertisements as soon as ordered to do so. Besides the fine Cessation. The authorities can order the activity to stop and the advertisements to be withdrawn. Since 2016, Barcelona City Council has issued almost 11.600 cessation orders and imposed more than 11.500 penalties, according to figures it released in August 2025. Sealing. In Barcelona, the City Council can seal off illegal holiday lets. If there are guests at the time, it rehouses them at no cost to them and then charges the costs to the owner. Who is liable The owner, even if someone else manages the flat. Also liable are anyone who runs it without being the owner and whoever markets or manages it. If it cannot be established what part each of them played, they are all liable for the full amount. An owner who lets the flat as a home and knows that the tenant is subletting it to tourists. If the owner does not report this to the authorities, they commit a serious infringement. Platforms and other channels that advertise flats without a registration number or with an incorrect number, or that market flats without authorisation. In the rest of Spain, each autonomous community has its own tourism act, with its own infringements and fines.