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Date Published: 09/02/2026

Tiny town near Benidorm clamps down on tourist lets in historic centre

Polop de la Marina moves to strictly regulate holiday rentals to protect residents and heritage

A small inland town close to Benidorm has taken a firm stance on holiday rentals, becoming one of the few municipalities in the Marina Baixa to introduce its own detailed local rules.

The Ayuntamiento of Polop de la Marina has given initial approval to a new ordinance regulating tourist accommodation and short-term holiday rentals, known in Spain as viviendas de uso turístico (VUT), aimed at balancing tourism with residential life and safeguarding the town’s historic character.

The measure was approved in plenary with the backing of the governing Partido Popular and an independent councillor, while the PSOE abstained. The council says the goal is to avoid future problems linked to uncontrolled growth in short-term lets and to provide legal clarity for residents and property owners.

At the heart of the regulation is a total ban on tourist accommodation in the old town and around the Cultural Interest Site, as well as in the historic centre itself. These areas are being protected to preserve their heritage value and residential use.

In urban expansion zones dominated by terraced housing, tourist accommodation will only be permitted in very exceptional cases. More flexibility is allowed in outer urbanisations, where holiday lets may be authorised up to a limit of 15 percent of homes in each area, and only with the approval of the relevant homeowners’ association.

The ordinance has been in preparation for over a year and is based on a technical study by the University of Alicante, identifying which areas require special protection and how tourism can be regulated in line with the town’s development model.

Polop’s decision reflects a wider push across Spain to rein in tourist rentals, following national action last year to remove tens of thousands of illegal listings from online platforms.

Image: wikicommons

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