Buy a Balearic rental on real numbers, not brochures.
Every villa scored on realistic, after-tax net yield from live Airbnb calendars — Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca & Formentera, under the licence-capped ETV regime.
Choose your island
Mallorca
The Balearics’ deepest villa market — six distinct sub-regions, one scarce licence.
Ibiza & Formentera
Spain’s highest peak-season ADRs — a licence-gated luxury market.
Menorca
The quiet Balearic — family demand, UNESCO coastline, and the same scarce licences.
Highest-scoring Balearic Islands villas
Ranked by BrixfoxScore — real, after-tax net yield from live Airbnb data, not asking-price guesswork.
Detached house in Diseminado s'Hort Nou, Sant Rafel de sa Creu, Sant Antoni de Portmany
Estate in Diseminado Poligono 4, Pollença, Pollença
Detached house in Santa Eulalia del Río, Santa Eulalia del Río
Detached house in Diseminado p 21 n s Jesus, Jesús, Santa Eulalia del Río
Detached house in Santa Gertrudis, Santa Eulalia del Río
Detached house in San Carlos, Santa Eulalia del Río
Detached house in San Carlos, Santa Eulalia del Río
Detached house in Santa Eulalia del Río, Santa Eulalia del Río
Detached house in Calle Tauet, Can Furnet, Santa Eulalia del Río
22,347 tourist licences on register · 5,665 villas for sale
Register rows per municipality against the villas we list there. A licence on the register is a licence at a location on the day the register was read — not a statement about any villa for sale, and not a transfer.
| Municipality | Licences on register | Pinned | Villas for sale | Licences per villa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calvià · Mallorca | 466 | 210 | 755 | 0.6 |
| Manacor · Mallorca | 975 | 456 | 522 | 1.9 |
| Santanyí · Mallorca | 1,288 | 656 | 438 | 2.9 |
| Santa Eulalia · Ibiza | — | — | 419 | — |
| Palma · Mallorca | 647 | 264 | 410 | 1.6 |
| Pollença · Mallorca | 2,479 | 1,441 | 407 | 6.1 |
| Ciutadella · Menorca | 1,841 | 1,781 | 402 | 4.6 |
| Andratx · Mallorca | 392 | 183 | 334 | 1.2 |
| Sant Josep · Ibiza | — | — | 266 | — |
| Maó · Menorca | 257 | 257 | 257 | 1.0 |
| Sóller · Mallorca | 624 | 239 | 239 | 2.6 |
| Alcúdia · Mallorca | 1,425 | 838 | 218 | 6.5 |
| Artà · Mallorca | 578 | 309 | 188 | 3.1 |
| Cala Tarida · Ibiza | — | — | 148 | — |
Sources: Mallorca register, Menorca register, Ibiza register, last read 28 Sept 2026. “Pinned” counts register rows with a usable coordinate — what the per-villa match can check within 50 m of an exact pin. A dash means the catalogue files that place as a municipality while the register files it under another; the villas are still counted. Whether any licence transfers with a sale is a question for a Spanish lawyer.
Short-Term Rental Rules in Balearic Islands
Licensing is the single biggest factor in Spanish STR underwriting — it determines whether projected income is achievable at all.
New licences
New ETV licences have been under moratorium since February 2022 (extended indefinitely in May 2024). A limited CBAT allocation of 654 new tourist places opened in September 2025 — the first since the freeze.
When you buy
The licence attaches to the property and transfers with the sale, provided the deed expressly includes a transfer clause and the island council (Consell Insular) approves it within 60 days.
Buyer checkpoint
Buying a villa with an existing, transferable ETV is effectively the only reliable route into Balearic STR. Verify the licence number, plaza count, and that the deed includes the transfer clause before exchange.
National registry (all of Spain)
Since 1 July 2025 every short-term rental in Spain must hold a national registration number (NRA) from the Registro Único (Royal Decree 1312/2024). Platforms like Airbnb must delist properties without one within 48 hours. The NRA sits on top of each region’s own licence regime — you need both.
Regulation overview only, current as of June 2026 — not legal advice. Verify with a local lawyer before purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a new holiday rental licence in the Balearic Islands?
In practice, rarely. New ETV licences have been frozen since February 2022, with only a limited allocation of 654 places released via CBAT in September 2025. Most investors buy properties that already hold a transferable ETV licence.
Does the ETV licence transfer when I buy the property?
Yes — the licence attaches to the property, but the deed of sale must expressly include a transfer clause and the island council must approve the transfer within 60 days. Always verify this with a local lawyer before exchange.
Which Balearic island has the strongest Airbnb demand?
Mallorca has the deepest market by listing volume and the longest season; Ibiza commands the highest peak ADRs; Menorca is smaller, family-oriented and more seasonal. Our live data on each island page shows tracked occupancy and ADR by area.