How to defend your holiday flat at the owners' meeting: key arguments

To defend your holiday flat at an owners' meeting, you need to show that you comply with tourism regulations, present a protocol to prevent noise and incidents, and explain how guests, cleaning and communal areas are kept under control. Since 3 April 2025, new holiday-let activity requires the express approval of the comunidad de propietarios (owners' association) by a double three-fifths majority.

From 3 April 2025, the rules on holiday flats in owners' associations change significantly.  Under the new regulations, 3/5 of the owners will need to approve that use in the building before a licence can be applied for. The rule only affects properties that do not yet have a licence, so if you are in the process of getting one, it is essential to defend your position at the owners' meeting with solid arguments. Here are some key points you can put forward:

1. The value of the property goes up

One of the main benefits of allowing holiday flats in a building is the increase in property values. If you decide to sell your flat in the future, an investor buyer will be willing to pay more for a property in a building where holiday-let activity is already approved. That makes your flat a more attractive investment with greater potential to gain value.

2. Tourists are no bigger a problem than other tenants

Some neighbours often argue that tourists can cause noise or nuisance. However, compared with long-term rentals, holiday flats can even be a safer and less troublesome option. Lets to students, for example, tend to produce more noise and make living together harder. And with a long-term tenant you never know who you will get: it could turn out to be a problem neighbour that everyone has to put up with for years.

Tourists, on the other hand, come and go. There may be the odd noisier visit, but the next guest could be a quiet family or a couple who hardly spend any time in the flat. Holiday flat owners also tend to set strict rules and actively keep track of their guests, which does not happen with traditional rentals.

3. Control and upkeep of the flat

Holiday flat owners usually have more control over their properties than those who let long term. With regular cleaning and frequent checks between stays, the property is kept in better condition. With a long-term rental, by contrast, the owner can go months without knowing what state the property is in and only discover problems when the tenant decides to leave.

4. Greater security for the building

A building with well-managed holiday flats has a constant flow of people, which can deter crime. On top of that, many holiday rental platforms require identity verification and reviews, which helps to filter guests. With a traditional rental, there is much less control over who comes and goes.

5. A positive economic impact on the area

Holiday flats benefit local shops, bars, restaurants and small businesses in the area. A neighbourhood with active tourism tends to do well economically, which also helps improve quality of life for all the residents.

6. Internal rules instead of an outright ban

If there are concerns about noise or security, instead of banning holiday flats the owners' association can set internal rules that keep everyone living together peacefully. Some solutions could be:

• Compulsory quiet hours.
• A guest register kept by the owners' association for greater control.
• Noise monitoring devices.
• Sharing the contact number of the company or person managing the property with all the neighbours. That way, if a problem comes up with some guests, there will always be someone available to deal with it straight away and offer a solution.

Conclusion

If your owners' association is going to vote on whether holiday flats can continue, it is vital that you argue your case with data and objective facts. Remember that this activity can benefit everyone if it is managed responsibly. Defend your position with confidence and offer solutions that allow all the neighbours to live together.

Need help managing your holiday-let property effectively? At beBalmy we will be happy to help. You can contact us through this form, or send us a WhatsApp message.