Your ROI Evaporates in the Pool (If You Don't Control the Tourist License)

The Perfect Villa… Until the Spreadsheet Screams at You

It has happened to you: terrace with views of Altea Bay, infinity pool, sparkling marble, and the seller whispering, "It yields 10–12% on Airbnb easily." You can already see yourself collecting bookings in August, the calendar blocked, the ROI singing. You can almost smell the guests' barbecue at sunset.

And then, a "minor" detail: the tourist license. "It's processed later, no problem," they tell you. You sign the reservation. You ask for the urbanistic certificate. The Town Hall takes its time. The community of owners has statutes. Use compatibility appears. A sanction from the previous owner emerges. And, like ice in August, your ROI melts in the pool.

The legal holiday rental business in Altea is not the house: it is the permit. Without a permit, there is no business. Period.

The Comfortable Lie of “You’ll Just Process It Later”

There is a popular fantasy on the Costa Blanca: "I'll buy now, and if the tourist license gets complicated, I'll figure it out." It's like buying a Ferrari and assuming you'll later find a driver's license, insurance, and a racetrack. Yes, it sounds optimistic. No, it is not serious.

In the Valencian Community, in 2025, the legal holiday rental in Altea is a puzzle with pieces that many ignore: urbanistic compatibility certificate, occupancy license, community statutes, possible saturation in specific areas, and regulations that are not from a "real estate portal," but from the Official State Gazette (BOE) and the Official Gazette of the Valencian Community (DOGV). And Airbnb is not the law: the “Altea 2025 Airbnb regulation” is dictated by the Town Hall and the Generalitat (Valencian regional government).

Do you think, "if others do it, I will too"? Perfect, but when an inspection or an angry neighbour arrives, the "others" do not pay your fine. Nor do they give you back the lost summers.

What Seems Profitable vs. What Actually Is

Most People Do This

Buy on impulse: views, pool, "how photogenic for Instagram."
Calculate income with fantasy occupancy rates of 90% all year.
Ask about the license at the end, as if it were a simple, pleasant formality.
Publish on platforms "to see what happens."

Those Who Get Ahead Do This

Buy based on the license, not the pool: first legal viability, then aesthetics.
Require documents before making an offer: occupancy, compatibility, statutes, previous sanctions.
Include a suspensive condition in the offer: if the license is not viable, there is no deal.
Design a profitable Plan B (mid-term, corporate, medical, golf) with numbers, not wishes.

Mark's Case: 1.2M in Altea Hills and a Reality Check

Mark, a Swiss investor, arrived in Altea with a clear goal: "buy a house to rent on the Costa Blanca." He fell in love with a villa in Altea Hills: 1.2 million, 4 bedrooms, sun all day. Projection in his spreadsheet: 12% gross. The agent on duty told him: "the Costa Blanca tourist license is obtainable, don't worry."

He signed the reservation. It took him 6 weeks to discover that the community statutes restricted tourist use and that the previous owner had an open file for irregular rental. Result: no license in 2025, potential cancellations, neighbours against it, and an ROI that turned into smoke.

He called us late, annoyed (rightfully so). We redid the process in reverse: legal filtering first, aesthetics second. In 9 days, we found a villa in Alfaz del Pi with a valid VT (Tourist Housing) license, a compatibility certificate in order, and audited historical operation. Real numbers for the first year: 71% occupancy, ADR €265 in high season, 9.3% gross, 6.1% net after management, cleaning, insurance, and taxes. The 12% spreadsheet? Fantasy. Legal, stable, and saleable business? Yes.

Mindset Shift: Buy Rights, Not Just Square Metres

What if the problem isn't the "ideal" house... but the real right to exploit it legally? In real estate investment in North Costa Blanca, the advantage is not a beautiful kitchen: it is a clean file and a solid license.

Stop thinking about "views + pool" and start thinking about "compatibility + occupancy." The villa is the container. The permit is the business.

Your Micro-Plan to Avoid Drowning in the Pool

Basic Level: Questions That Cut Through the Smoke

Is there a current tourist license (VT)? In whose name? History of sanctions?
Is there a valid first/second occupancy license or habitability certificate?
Does the community of owners allow tourist use in its statutes? Recent votes?
Has Altea Town Hall issued an urbanistic compatibility certificate for this property or typology?
Are there noise reports, neighbour complaints, or limitations due to a saturated zone?

Medium Level: Documents and Realistic Timelines

Request in writing: urbanistic compatibility, occupancy license, statutes and minutes, energy certificate, Liability Insurance (RC), and if applicable, previous operation report.
Include a suspensive condition in the offer linked to the viability of the license (20–45 day period).
Verify if the municipality applies a tourist tax or levy and the requirements for guest registration and control.
Check technical requirements: ventilation, capacity, noise detectors, fire extinguishers, signage, parking spaces if applicable.
Confirm with a lawyer that the Valencian Community tourist license 2025 can be obtained/transferred without surprises.

Advanced Level: Structure and Plan B That Keep the ROI Alive

Tax structure with an advisor: individual vs. company, VAT/Non-Resident Income Tax (IRNR), depreciation, and retentions (depends on your tax residency).
Documented profitable Plan B: mid-term stay 3–11 months (remote workers, corporate, clinics, international schools), rates, and seasonality.
Selection of areas with the best license/income ratio: Altea/Altea Hills, Alfaz del Pi, La Nucía, Polop, Benissa, Jávea, Moraira. Each with legal and demand nuances.
Exit clauses: if the license falls through, you renegotiate the price or withdraw without penalty.

What Happens When You Do This (For Real)

You won't "get 200 more bookings." But specific things do happen:

You sleep better: you know that legal holiday rental in Altea means zero inspection surprises.
You stop fighting with neighbours: house rules + noise sensors + verified check-in.
Your ADR (Average Daily Rate) goes up, because a legal, well-cared-for, and consistent product commands a better price.
Future liquidity improves: an asset with a clean VT sells faster and at a better multiple.
If the market turns sour, your Plan B pays the bills (and sometimes pleasantly surprises in the low season).

Clear Map: Viability Traffic Light in 48 Hours

How We Work at Costa Blanca Investments

Before you make a mistake with a reservation, we give you a realistic traffic light status for that property or for a shortlist you are evaluating:

Green: Tourist license viable or current, documentation ready, favourable community. Proceed to offer with a suspensive condition.
Amber: Conditional viability (minor renovations, pending documentation, statutory nuance). Price and terms are negotiated.
Red: No compatibility, community against it, or sanction history. We save you months and money.

Then we coordinate the entire circuit: English-speaking lawyer, compatibility application, VT, insurance, guest registration, PMS, pricing, and if you wish, operational management. Total cost transparency (yes, that 12–15% on the purchase in Spain with taxes, notary, and fees, itemised from day one).

Living Regulation, Living Investment

Regulations change. Town Halls adjust. What is simple today may require another piece of paper tomorrow. That's why we don't sell you smoke or generalities: we ground your case in reality. In 2025, in Altea and North Costa Blanca, you can invest wisely and sleep soundly, if you buy rights in addition to square metres.

And an uncomfortable truth to close this section: if you need to "gamble" for the numbers to work out, it's not the right house. There is inventory with viable licenses, off-market, that you don't see on portals. But you have to go for it with method, not in a rush.

Do You Want Your ROI to Swim… or Reach the Shore?

If you are about to buy in Altea, Altea Hills, or the surrounding area and lack clarity about the license, stop. Send us the property link or your shortlist, and in 48 hours, we will give you a free viability assessment with the traffic light status, processing route, and a realistic Plan B if necessary.

Costa Blanca Investments — more than an agency: locals who speak your language and coordinate the entire legal-financial process without surprises.

Email: info@costablancainvestments.com
WhatsApp/Phone: +34 651 77 03 68 (7-day response)
Web: https://www.costablancainvestments.com/
Office: Puerto Deportivo Luis Campomanes, 59, Altea

The question is simple: are you going to keep buying pools… or are you going to buy a legal business that pays, summer after summer? Request your evaluation and stop giving your ROI away to improvisation.

Useful Note for Meticulous Investors

This article is for informational purposes and does not substitute legal advice. Tourist regulation depends on the Generalitat Valenciana and each Town Hall. Before signing anything, verify documentation with a lawyer. If you wish, we can introduce you to ours (they speak English, Spanish, German, French, and more).