The questions hosts actually ask
Short, honest answers — the same ones I went looking for when we started letting our place. Where the answer is "it depends," I've said so.
Do I really have to, if I only rent a few weeks a year?
Yes. The duty applies to anyone taking paid stays, not just professionals. Occasional hosts must file guest data; only professional hosts also keep a three-year file. Enforcement tends to follow what's advertised or declared for tax — so if you list on a platform, treat yourself as in scope.
Can't I just photograph the guest's passport?
No — and it's wrong twice over. Keeping an image copy of an ID is over-collection under Spanish data-protection rules, and a photo is missing required fields anyway: residence, a contact, and for guests living in Spain the official municipality (INE) codes. The registry is built from typed structured data, not pictures.
What about children?
All guests are registered, including children. Under-14s don't need to present an identity document, but their name, date of birth, sex and nationality are still recorded, and an accompanying adult is responsible for them.
I live abroad and have no Spanish certificate — what now?
Logging in needs strong electronic ID (an FNMT certificate or Cl@ve) and, behind it, a Spanish NIE. You obtain these yourself — no service can get them for you, though we point you to the steps. Owners abroad sometimes appoint a representative who already holds a credential. A tool can prepare your compliant file; the login stays yours.
My property is in Catalonia or the Basque Country — is it different?
Yes. Catalonia files to the Mossos d'Esquadra register and the Basque Country to the Ertzaintza — separate portals with their own procedures. Filing to the national SES system does not satisfy those regional duties, and vice versa.
Does Airbnb or Booking file this for me?
No. Platforms report their own bookings and cancellations to the authorities, but that doesn't discharge your duty to file each guest's details. The responsibility stays with the host.
How long do I keep the records?
Professional hosts keep the documentary file for three years from the end of each stay. Only the data fields are submitted to the portal; what you retain stays with you — and don't keep image copies of IDs.
When exactly does the 24-hour clock start?
At check-in, and it runs continuously — no pause for weekends, holidays, a delayed flight or a portal outage. Collecting the data before arrival is the only reliable way to stay inside it.
Is this the same as the tourist tax?
No — they're separate regimes with separate authorities, deadlines and penalties. The guest registry is a public-safety record; the tourist tax is a charge in regions that levy it. Hosts often confuse the two. (It's also why Stay Comply is growing to handle tourist tax as well.)
Stay Comply by Tourist Tax Manager
Guests enter their own details before arrival and we build the compliant file — the right fields for their country, the official codes resolved. You upload it yourself, under your own login. Free for your first 3 bookings.
See how it works