Renting your flat to tourists in Fuengirola: rules, areas and what to expect (2026)
Fuengirola admits new tourist homes only if they have an entrance independent from the building (municipal criterion since February 2024): houses, terraced houses and ground floors with their own door, yes; a flat in a block with a shared hall, no. The promenade, Los Boliches, Torreblanca and El Castillo have different audiences. What to check before starting and what we know about its numbers.
Reviewed on 22 September 2026 · Versión en español
In short: Fuengirola admits new registrations of tourist homes in 2026, under Andalusia's general conditions. It is a city with a seven-kilometre promenade, a large British, Irish and Nordic audience, and one of the most solid winter seasons of long stays on the coast. Nightly prices and occupancy move in ranges similar to Torremolinos for equivalent flats.
Can a new tourist home be registered?
Yes, but with a condition many people are unaware of: an independent entrance. Since 22 February 2024 the town hall applies article 7.1.6 of its General Plan to tourist homes, which requires them to have access independent from the rest of the building; in August 2024 it asked the Junta to cancel around 600 registrations filed since that date that did not comply. In practice: houses, terraced houses and ground floors with their own door onto the street can be registered; a flat in a block with a shared hall and staircase, today, cannot. There is no general moratorium and, as of 21 September 2026, no later change to that criterion is on record. As along the rest of the coast, the trend is towards more control: if your home qualifies, do not leave it for later.
What else changed in 2024 for tourist homes?
The same municipal agreement of August 2024 did two more things: tourist homes now pay the waste charge under tariff B (the one for hotels and hostels, by square metre) and lose the 30 % IBI rebate for registered residents. The town hall also commissioned a saturation study: 9 % tourist pressure on the housing stock, about 28,000 places in more than 5,500 homes and 30 % growth since 2020. Details of the waste charge in Is there a special waste charge?.
The areas
- Promenade and centre: seafront, flats in 1970s and 1980s buildings with renovations, in high demand among couples and older guests. All year round.
- Los Boliches: the neighbourhood with the most residential and commercial life next to the beach, with a suburban train station. Families, one- and two-week stays.
- Torreblanca and Carvajal: to the east, quieter, with a train stop and wide beaches. Long stays and families.
- El Castillo and Sohail: to the west, next to the castle and the river, summer leisure area; more seasonal.
- Las Palmeras and Los Pacos: nearby inland, developments with pool and parking; lower nightly prices, good occupancy with a car.
What to expect from the numbers
Nightly prices and occupancy move in ranges similar to Torremolinos for equivalent flats, with two nuances: the winter season of long stays is somewhat stronger (Nordic and British guests who spend two or three months), and the seafront on the promenade charges more than the inner streets by a larger margin. The reference ranges by type are in How much would my flat really earn?: studio €16,000-19,000, 4-place flat €20,000-25,500, 6-place €28,000-30,000 gross a year.
What to bear in mind in Fuengirola
- Long-stay foreign audience: listings in English, monthly discounts in winter, and attention to non-resident owner taxation (I live outside Spain).
- Suburban train: the C-1 line ends in Fuengirola, with stops at Torreblanca, Los Boliches and the centre. 30-40 minutes from the airport.
- Feria del Rosario (October) and Feria de los Pueblos (spring): high-price dates.
- Owners' associations: the promenade buildings have many tourist homes and usually have their own rules; ask for the minutes and the by-laws before anything else (Can my association ban it?).
- Terraced houses and houses in developments: check the development's by-laws, which sometimes limit tourist use differently from a block.
What would we do with your flat?
Check the three filters with the address and give you a range with the coast's data. We manage in Fuengirola with our own cleaning, key and guest-service operation. Ask us by WhatsApp or from contact.