Valencia’s tourist rental market changed dramatically in 2024-2025. The city capped tourist rental licences at 2% of dwellings per neighbourhood, placed a moratorium on new licences in central areas, and intensified enforcement against unlicensed operators. For many overseas owners, the era of Airbnb-style income is over.

The good news: there is a clean, profitable — and often simpler — exit: long-term or temporada letting. And in Valencia, the timing is ideal. A tight rental market, no rent caps, and strong year-round demand.

01Why long-term letting is more profitable than most owners think

Most owners overestimate the net yield from their tourist rental. From the headline figure, you need to subtract: platform commissions (15–20%), cleaning costs between stays, linen, higher maintenance wear, review management, low-season vacancies, and often a heavier tax position.

With a long-term let, recurring costs are far lower. A well-located flat in Ruzafa, El Pla del Remei, Benimaclet or El Cabanyal commands €900–1,400/month with near-zero vacancy. And critically: no daily operational stress.

025 steps to transition smoothly

1. Check your VUT licence status

Your VUT licence (Vivienda de Uso Turístico) does not automatically convert into a residential tenancy. If it is still valid, you can continue operating until it expires — but prepare the transition now rather than scrambling for a tenant at the last moment. If the licence has expired or cannot be renewed, you need to formally deregister it and revert the property to residential use. The process is straightforward but must be done properly.

2. Adapt the property for residential letting

A tourist rental is fitted out in “light hotel mode”. For long-term letting, much of the furniture can stay, but think durability: adequate storage, a washing machine, stable broadband, solid appliances. The goal is no longer to impress in a photo in 30 seconds — it is to convince a tenant to sign for 12 months or more.

3. Choose the right contract type

Two main options:

• Primary residence lease (LAU article 2): minimum 5 years for an individual landlord, 7 years for a company. Rent reviewed annually against the INE index. Best for a stable, long-term tenant profile.
• Temporada (seasonal) contract: for expats, long-stay students, relocating professionals who keep their main residence elsewhere. No minimum duration, more flexibility, no tourist licence required. Often the best option in Valencia today — particularly well-suited to international tenants.

4. Set the right rent

Do not start from your tourist income divided by 30 — that is not the right benchmark. Analyse comparable properties in your neighbourhood (size, condition, floor, features) on local platforms. The long-term market has its own logic, and mispricing — up or down — is costly.

5. Vet the tenant rigorously

This is where remote management breaks down. Income verification, references, credit checks, a viewing, a check-in inventory — if you are not on the ground, delegating this step to a local professional is the best investment you can make. One bad tenant wipes out months of yield.

03What delegation actually changes

Self-managing from abroad is possible in theory. In practice, it means handling maintenance emergencies at any hour, chasing rent in Spanish, coordinating tradespeople remotely, and resolving minor tenant disputes without being there.

With Prodomio, you hand all of that to a team on the ground in Valencia: tenant selection, LAU-compliant lease, check-in inventory, rent collection, maintenance coordination, monthly reporting in English. You keep control of your investment — we handle the day-to-day.

Frequently asked questions

This article is for informational purposes and reflects market conditions and regulations in Valencia in early 2026. Prices, yields and rules evolve rapidly. It does not constitute investment or tax advice.