REGULATION
There are two laws in Andalucía about houses that are rented for tourism purposes:
1.- Decree 28/2016, 11th February, for houses rented for tourism purposes in Andalucía. This regulation will enter into force from 11th May 2016.[1]
2.- Decree 20/2002, 29th January, for houses rented for tourism purposes in rural areas. This regulation has been in force for 14 years.[2]
THE PURPOSES OF THIS LEGISLATION (Decree 20/2002 and Decree 28/2016)
Owners who regularly rent their houses for tourism purposes in exchange for a price must declare this activity to the Junta de Andalucía (Regional Government) via a declaración responsable (declaration of responsibility), if their houses comply with legislation (Decree 20/2002 or Decree 28/2016). In this declaration, the owner promises that the house complies with requirements under the regulations and has the documents to prove it.
When the owner makes this declaration, the Junta of Andalucía registers the house in a registry (Tourism Registry of Andalucía).
When the Junta of Andalucía registers the house, it gives the owner a number that identifies the house. This number has to be shown in everything (contract, website, etc.), because this number proves your house is legally rented for tourism purposes.
In accordance with the above, if you are required to declare your house and you do not, you are renting your house illegally and the Junta of Andalucía could fine you, according to tourism legislation in Andalucía.
HOUSING RENTAL FOR TOURISM PURPOSES “IN RURAL AREAS”.
In this report we will not analyse houses that are subject to Decree 28/2016, but rather those subject to Decree 20/2002.
Decree 20/2002 is applied to housing rental for tourism purposes in rural areas. Article 48 of Law 13/2011, 23rd February, on Tourism in Andalucía[3] stipulates that rural tourism accommodation includes any located in rural areas which is only offered for accommodation, to the public, for temporary or occasional use, for tourism purposes, one or more times during the year, but without the service exceeding three months per year overall.
There are two important aspects here:
1.- An important limit on rent. Owners of rural tourism accommodation cannot rent it for more than three month per year.
2.- What are rural areas? According to Decree 20/2002, 29th January, rural areas are those that do NOT FULFIL ANY of the following circumstances:
- areas located within 1,000 meters from the seashore, and the access road to the beach from the house does not exceed 1500 metres (Decree 28/2016 can apply)
- Areas located in population centres[4] of over 20,000 inhabitants (Decree 28/2016 can apply)
- Areas located near industries that cause pollution according to Act 7/1994, or roads in protected areas, according to Act 8/2001.
Therefore:
- If only one of these circumstances exists in the place where the house is located, it means that the area is not rural and Decree 20/2002 does not apply. Decree 28/2016WOULD apply (in force from 11 May 2016)[5]
- If none of those circumstances exists, Decree 20/2002 applies, and Decree 28/2016 does NOT apply.
REQUIREMENTS THAT THE HOUSE MUST FULFIL
Housing rental for tourism purposes in rural areas must comply with the following requirements:
- The only service that the owner can offer in the house is accommodation and cleaning of the house before tenants enter and after they have left.
- Three or more houses cannot be in the same building.
- The house cannot hold more than 20 people.
- The house has to be furnished for immediate use.
- Furthermore, the house has to comply with the requirements that are established in Annex II of Decree 20/2002, mainly:
- The access road to the house has to be marked. The road must be suitable for vehicles, and if not, the owner must provide transportation.
- Drinking water. If the water does not come from the mains supply, there must be a 200-litre tank for each person in the house
- Electricity.
- First aid kit.
– Finally, most of the requirements are set out in ANNEX III[6] of the Decree. This annex is divided into two parts (I.- Categoría basica and II.- Categoria superior). Houses rented for tourism purposes must comply with the requirements of part I.- Basic Category (Categoría básica), which are the same requirements for “Casas Rurales” which is another kind of house for accommodation. These requirements are given in much detail. The most important are listed below:
- The dining room should be at least 12 square metres.
- The bedrooms and dining room must have heating.
- The house décor must respect Andalusian rural aesthetics
- The kitchen should have several burners, oven or microwave, refrigerator, crockery, cutlery, cooking and cleaning utensils, hot and cold water and an extractor fan.
- The bedrooms must be 7 square metres (single rooms) and 10 square meters (double rooms). For each additional person in the room, an extra4 square metres are required.
- The bedrooms should have nightstands. The beds should be 90 * 180 cm (single) and 135 * 180 (double). There must be a closet for every four people, and hangers.
- The ceiling height of the bedrooms must be 2 metres.
- Direct lighting and ventilation from outside. The windows should have blinds or curtains.
- There must be a bathroom for every 6 people. The bathrooms must have a mirror, towel rack, shelves, hot water, direct or forced ventilation and two sets of bath linen per week of rental.
OCCUPATIONAL LICENCE
The occupational licence is a document issued by the Town Hall which states that the house was built according to the law and is suitable for habitation.
Decree20/2002 does not require an occupational licence (Decree 28/2016 does require one). However, the Junta de Andalucía will inform your Town Hall that your house has been registered at Tourism Registry of Andalucía. If your house was built without fulfilling legal requirements (for example, a house that was built without a building licence because local planning regulations did not allow buildings in that particular place or with this conditions), you could run into problems with the Town Hall, because it could start administrative proceedings to fine you. For this reason, before asking for your house to be registered at the Tourism Registry of Andalucía, you must be sure that your house fulfils planning laws.
INSPECTION
The Junta de Andalucía has issued a notice that when anyone asks for a house in a rural area to be registered, the Junta always send inspectors to check the house and whether it complies with every requirement. This is something that all owners must bear in mind.
[1] Decree 28/2016, 11th February
http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/eboja/2016/28/BOJA16-028-00009-2130-01_00084776.pdf
[2] Decree 20/2002, 29th January
[3] Act 13/2011, 23rd February, on Tourism in Andalucía.
http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/boja/2011/255/d1.pdf
[4] Population centres are not the towns, the municipality. The population centres are areas included in a town. For example: In Vejer there are 11 population centres: La Barca, Cantarranas, Las Lomas, La Muela, Los Naveros, La Oliva, Vejer de la Frontera, El Palmar, Santa Lucia, Cañada Ancha, etc; and in Chiclana there are 13: San Andres Golf, Los Gallos, Hozanejos, Pago del Humo, etc…). The number of inhabitants of those population centres are important to determine whether the area is rural or not.
[5] In this case, when Decree 20/2002 does not apply, Decree 28/2016 could apply, only if the house is in an area which is classified as for “residential use” by local planning laws.
[6] Below part I of Annex III is transcribed in Spanish, to avoid confusion:
Categoría básica:
A) Establecimientos de alojamiento no compartido, en los que habrá una persona responsable que cuidará mediante visitas periódicas la reposición de agua y combustible, en su caso, y del buen estado de las instalaciones, y cuyo nombre, dirección y teléfono se pondrá en conocimiento de las personas usuarias.
a) Salones y comedores:
Salón comedor adecuado a la capacidad máxima del establecimiento, debidamente equipado para su uso. Su tamaño guardará relación con la capacidad reglamentaria, con una superficie mínima de 12 m2 que puede estar repartida entre dos estancias.
Si el período de funcionamiento comprende los meses de octubre a abril, ambos inclusive, estarán dotadas de calefacción capaz de alcanzar y mantener durante su utilización una temperatura ambiental de 19ºC.
El mobiliario y la decoración deben alcanzar un nivel óptimo de adecuación respecto a la estética rural andaluza.
b) Cocina:
Tendrá la superficie suficiente en función de la capacidad de alojamiento, debiendo estar provisto de cocina con varios fuegos, horno o microondas, frigorífico, vajilla, cubertería, cristalería, utensilios de cocina y de limpieza.
Fregadero y escurridor con agua corriente fría y caliente.
Dispondrá de ventilación directa o forzada para renovación de aire y extracción de humos.
c) Dormitorios:
La superficie mínima de las habitaciones será de 7 m2 para habitaciones individuales, y de 10 m2 para habitaciones dobles. Por cada plaza adicional deberá disponer de 4 m2 adicionales. Se excluye del cómputo la superficie destinada a terraza y la ocupada por el cuarto de baño, mientras se puede incluir aquella ocupada por armarios empotrados.
El mobiliario de las habitaciones deberá contar, en todo caso, con mesillas de noche y una cama por plaza de al menos 90 * 180 cm si es individual, o de 135 * 180 cm si es doble. El somier será de elevada rigidez, no permitiéndose el uso de colchones de lana o gomaespuma.
Un armario para cada cuatro plazas, con un número de perchas adecuado, que se puede ubicar en cualquiera de las habitaciones.
Punto de luz próximo a la cama.
La altura mínima libre de los techos será de 2,00 m. En habitaciones con techos abuhardillados, al menos el 70% de la superficie de la habitación tendrá esta altura mínima.
La iluminación y ventilación serán directas al exterior o a patios adecuadamente ventilados. El hueco de ventilación tendrá un tamaño adecuado al volumen del dormitorio, no permitiéndose el uso de sistemas de ventilación asistida. Las ventanas estarán dotadas de tapaluces, persianas o cortinas.
Si el período de funcionamiento comprende los meses de octubre a abril, ambos inclusive, deberán contar con calefacción capaz de alcanzar y mantener durante su utilización una temperatura ambiental de 19º C.
El acceso a las mismas será siempre desde elementos comunes. En ningún caso se podrá acceder a través de otra habitación.
Dispondrá de lencería de cama adecuada al número de ocupantes, a razón de un juego por semana.
d) Servicios higiénicos:
Contarán con un cuarto de baño completo por cada 6 plazas o fracción, dotado de agua fría y caliente, y equipado con lavabo, bañera o ducha, e inodoro. Habrá de estar situado en el mismo cuerpo de edificación que las habitaciones.
Estará dotado de espejo, toallero, perchero y repisa para los objetos de tocador.
El caudal de agua caliente disponible deberá asegurar el aseo, incluyendo ducha, de todas las personas usuarias a lo largo de una hora.
Tendrán ventilación directa o forzada. 5. Dispondrá de lencería de baño adecuada al número de ocupantes, a razón de dos juegos por semana.
B) Establecimientos de alojamiento compartido. Se establecen los siguientes requisitos adicionales:
1. El mobiliario de las habitaciones debe contar con una silla por cada dos plazas, mesita, y armario propio.
2. La existencia de cocina según el punto b) anterior a disposición de los clientes es optativa.
3. El cuarto de baño debe ser de uso exclusivo para los/las clientes. Debe contar con media bañera y bidé.