Buy a mainland-Spain rental on real numbers, not brochures.
Every villa scored on realistic, after-tax net yield from live Airbnb calendars — the deep Costa del Sol and the premium, tightly-licensed Costa Brava.
Choose your coast
Highest-scoring Spanish Mainland villas
Ranked by BrixfoxScore — real, after-tax net yield from live Airbnb data, not asking-price guesswork.
Detached house in El Madroñal 2, El Madroñal, Benahavís
Detached house in El Paraíso, Benahavís
Detached house in Avenida dels Arbres Nn, Serra Brava, Lloret de Mar
Detached house in La Quinta, Benahavís
Detached house in Ds Pago Frontiles, Chaparil - Torrecilla - Punta Lara, Nerja
Detached house in Rio Real, Marbella
Semi-detached house in Carretera Canyelles, 36, Port Esportiu - Puig Rom - Canyelles, Roses
Detached house in Calle Tabacalero, Chullera, Manilva
Detached house in Calle de les Falgueres Nn, Serra Brava, Lloret de Mar
58,356 tourist licences on register · 1,016 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Begur | 1,764 | 0 | 78 | 22.6 |
| Marbella | 2,629 | 2,360 | 77 | 34.1 |
| Lloret de Mar | 3,116 | 0 | 73 | 42.7 |
| L'Escala | 3,158 | 0 | 62 | 50.9 |
| Torroella de Montgrí | 2,638 | 0 | 59 | 44.7 |
| Palafrugell | 2,770 | 0 | 51 | 54.3 |
| Roses | 5,340 | 0 | 50 | 106.8 |
| Manilva | 493 | 394 | 50 | 9.9 |
| Sant Feliu de Guíxols | 1,053 | 0 | 49 | 21.5 |
| Nerja | 1,477 | 1,359 | 45 | 32.8 |
| Benahavís | 274 | 266 | 44 | 6.2 |
| Estepona | 1,147 | 1,016 | 42 | 27.3 |
| Palamós | 1,626 | 0 | 36 | 45.2 |
| Cadaqués | 997 | 0 | 33 | 30.2 |
Sources: Andalusia register, Catalonia 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 Spanish Mainland
Licensing is the single biggest factor in Spanish STR underwriting — it determines whether projected income is achievable at all.
New licences
The two mainland coasts run opposite regimes. Andalusia (Costa del Sol) keeps VUT registration open in most municipalities — Málaga city is the main exception, with caps in saturated districts. Catalonia (Costa Brava) caps tourist licences at 10 per 100 residents in “stressed” municipalities, which now cover most of that coastline.
When you buy
Both the VUT and the HUT number transfer with the property. In Catalonia a capped-municipality HUT must be renewed under the 5-yearly urban-planning regime before 9 November 2028 — renewal is where the risk sits.
Buyer checkpoint
Check which coast and municipality you are buying in: Costa del Sol licences are generally obtainable; Costa Brava licences in capped towns may not be renewable. Verify the municipal quota position before you commit.
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
Costa del Sol or Costa Brava for Airbnb investment?
Costa del Sol offers the deepest market and the easiest licence (Andalusia VUT), at the cost of more competition. Costa Brava offers premium French/Catalan demand and scarcer supply, but Catalonia’s 10-per-100 cap and the 2028 renewal deadline make it the higher-regulatory-risk choice.
Do mainland licences transfer when I buy?
Yes — both the Andalusian VUT and the Catalan HUT transfer with the property. The catch is Catalonia: a HUT in a capped municipality must be renewed before 9 November 2028, and renewal is not guaranteed in over-quota towns.
Is the mainland less seasonal than the islands?
The Costa del Sol has the broadest shoulder-season demand in Spain (golf, Málaga city tourism); the Costa Brava is more summer-peaked but drive-to resilient. The monthly data on each coast’s page shows the curve.