Spain Supreme Court strikes down single short-term rental registry NRUA

Spain's Supreme Court has struck down the Single Registry of Short-Term Rentals and, with it, the National Rental Registration Number (NRUA) established under Royal Decree 1312/2024. The reason: the State lacks the competence to create a national registry that overlaps with existing regional registries. Decision nº 620/2026, dated 19 May and made public on 21 May 2026, partially upholds the appeal filed by the Valencian Government.

If you own a short-term rental property in Spain, this ruling changes the rules of the game. Here is what is struck down, what remains, what happens to the NRUA, and what you should do now.

What exactly did the Supreme Court decide?

The Administrative Chamber of the Supreme Court issued Decision nº 620/2026, partially upholding the Valencian Government's appeal against Royal Decree 1312/2024 of 23 December. The ruling distinguishes two blocks:

• STRUCK DOWN: The provisions creating the Single Registry of Rentals and the NRUA — the obligation to obtain a state registration number through the Property Registrars to list on platforms like Airbnb or Booking.
• UPHELD: The Digital Single Window for Rentals, the data transmission obligations of online platforms, and data sharing for statistical purposes.

In other words: the NRUA and the state registration number are gone, but platforms remain obligated to share data with the authorities.

Why did the Supreme Court strike it down?

The court explicitly acknowledges a "growing concern" about short-term rentals and their impact on housing access. However, the Supreme Court considers that EU Regulation 2024/1028, which the Government relied on, requires adapting registration systems but does not require the procedure to be national, nor does it affect the distribution of powers between the State and the Autonomous Communities.

The court analyzed the competence titles under Article 149.1 of the Constitution (civil law, equality, economic coordination, statistics) and concluded that none supports such an exhaustive national regulation that "overlaps with existing regional registries." The annulled registry did not register contracts or property charges — it granted an enabling number (the NRUA) to commercialize properties online, which exceeds State competences.

What does this mean for you as a host?

The practical consequences of this ruling are clear:

1. You no longer need the NRUA or state registration number under RD 1312/2024 to list on platforms. Your regional registration is sufficient.
2. Your regional registration obligation remains. Each Autonomous Community maintains its own registration system and you must continue to comply.
3. Platforms remain obligated to share data. Airbnb, Booking and others must still transmit information to the Digital Single Window for control and statistics.
4. Your guest registration obligation does not change. Regardless of property registration, you must still report traveller data to the relevant authorities.

What happens to the annual informational filing?

RD 1312/2024 also regulated the annual informational filing: an obligation to submit every February, before the Property Registrars, a form listing all rentals made, linked directly to each property's NRUA. This filing included data such as the rental purpose, number of guests, and check-in/check-out dates.

With the Single Registry and NRUA struck down, the future of this informational filing is in a grey area. The ruling is very recent and there is no clear official position yet on what happens to this obligation. It is likely that the Government or relevant authorities will issue instructions in the coming weeks to clarify this.

What does seem clear is that the Digital Single Window, which remains in force, will continue receiving activity data transmitted by platforms, so the flow of statistical information is not interrupted.

The context: a months-long legal battle

The Single Registry launched on 2 January 2025 and became fully effective on 1 July that year. Since then, over 341,000 properties were registered (258,000 tourist and 83,000 seasonal), and more than 111,000 illegal rental contracts were detected, mostly tourist rentals.

However, the regulation sparked an intense legal battle. The Valencian Government, Andalusia, the Canary Islands, the Region of Murcia, and vacation rental associations from Barcelona, Girona and the Canary Islands all filed appeals, arguing the regulation invaded regional competences on tourism and housing.

What happens now with the EU Regulation?

EU Regulation 2024/1028 remains in force and requires Spain to have an interoperable registration system. The Supreme Court's ruling does not free Spain from complying with Brussels — it requires finding a solution that respects the constitutional distribution of powers.

The European Commission may demand that Spain adapt its system, but the responsibility now falls on the Autonomous Communities, which must ensure their registries are compatible with EU rules and that data flows correctly to the Digital Single Window.

The Ministry of Housing has already urged the Communities to "streamline verifications and inspections" and welcomed that the Digital Single Window remains as a control tool.

Official source of the ruling

You can consult the official information in the press release from the General Council of the Judiciary:

Supreme Court — Decision nº 620/2026, Administrative Chamber, 19 May 2026

Conclusion

The Supreme Court's ruling returns the management of short-term rental registries to the Autonomous Communities and eliminates both the Single Registry and the NRUA. For hosts, the main message is clear: your regional registration is what counts, and your guest registration obligations remain intact.

In a constantly changing regulatory landscape, the best strategy is to automate as much as possible. Tools like BnCheck allow you to comply with traveller communication obligations without depending on regulatory shifts.