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Guest registration obligation for holiday landlords in Mallorca: using SES.Hospedajes correctly

Responsible for this content: Frank Menze

If you host holiday guests on Mallorca, you have been legally required since 2 December 2024 to report every guest via the state platform SES.Hospedajes within 24 hours of arrival. What used to apply only to hotels now also affects private landlords of fincas, holiday flats and apartments. The legal basis is Royal Decree 933/2021, which creates uniform rules across Spain for traveller registration and replaces the previous systems of the Guardia Civil and WebPol/E-Hotel. In this guide you'll learn who exactly is obliged to report, how the registration works technically, what data you need to record, what penalties threaten in case of non-compliance – and how SES.Hospedajes relates to the Balearic ETV licence and the local landlord register.

SES.Hospedajes: guest reporting for holiday rentals in Spain

Do you already know whether your reporting processes are legally compliant?

What is SES.Hospedajes – and who has to report?

SES.Hospedajes is the central platform operated by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior for recording traveller data. It was created to unify the previously separate reporting channels: until 2024, reports ran either through the "Hospederías de la Guardia Civil" (mainly for smaller landlords) or through "WebPol/E-Hotel" (mainly for hotels). Since 2 December 2024, SES.Hospedajes has been mandatory for all accommodation providers – regardless of whether you rent out a holiday home, a finca or a single apartment.

The authorities' stated aim is to curb illegal rentals and tax evasion, gain a better understanding of the security situation, and align data collection with EU-wide standards. For you as a landlord, this means: as soon as you rent out for tourism purposes, you must record your guests' identity data and forward it to the authorities via the platform.

Feature Regulation
Responsible authority Ministerio del Interior (Spanish Ministry of the Interior)
Mandatory since 2 December 2024 (mandatory for all landlords)
Predecessor systems Hospederías de la Guardia Civil, WebPol/E-Hotel
Reporting deadline 24 hours after the guest's arrival
Legal basis Real Decreto 933/2021

Note: The reporting obligation concerns the recording of travellers – it does not replace the tourist rental licence (ETV). Both obligations exist in parallel and independently of one another.

The legal basis for the guest reporting obligation is Real Decreto 933/2021, published in the BOE. It requires accommodation providers – from hotels to private holiday flats – to collect more extensive traveller data than previously customary and to transmit it via a unified digital system. The decree was the legal trigger for replacing the old, fragmented reporting channels with SES.Hospedajes.

Important for you as a landlord: the decree not only regulates the reporting deadline, but also how long your recorded guest data must be retained and which authorities are granted access to it.

Aspect Requirement under RD 933/2021
Reporting deadline Within 24 hours of arrival
Data retention period 3 years
Mandatory digital system SES.Hospedajes
Scope of application All accommodation businesses, including private holiday rental hosts

The 24-hour deadline: what you really need to know

The key obligation you need to remember: from the moment your guest arrives at the accommodation, you have 24 hours to submit the required data via SES.Hospedajes. This applies regardless of whether you are on site yourself, whether you work with a property management company, or whether check-in takes place via a key box.

Especially with arrivals at weekends or outside normal office hours, many landlords underestimate how tight this time window really is. Anyone who handles the reporting manually and without a fixed routine can easily fall behind – particularly with several guest changeovers per week during high season.

  1. Guest arrives at the accommodation (the arrival time counts, not the booking time).
  2. Identity data is recorded (in person or digitally in advance via a form).
  3. Data is entered into SES.Hospedajes or transmitted automatically via connected software.
  4. Submission must be completed within 24 hours of arrival.
  5. Confirmation of submission is archived (advisable in case of an inspection).

Note: The deadline applies per guest and per stay – for group bookings with several guests, you must record the complete data for each person within the deadline.

SES.Hospedajes vs the Balearic landlord register

In the Balearic Islands, an additional, older obligation applies alongside the national reporting requirement: since May 2023, commercial providers of tourist accommodation in the Balearics have been required to keep a register and maintain records of the services provided. This obligation already existed before SES.Hospedajes became mandatory for private landlords, and is distinct from the nationwide guest reporting requirement.

System Purpose Responsibility Since
SES.Hospedajes Reporting of traveller data to security authorities Ministry of the Interior (national) 2 December 2024
Balearic Register / Service Log Documentation of tourist rental activity Balearic Administration May 2023

For you as a landlord in Mallorca, this means in practice: you should keep track of both obligations separately, even though in everyday life they are often organised in parallel via the same management software or property management company. If you have your holiday property managed by a management company, clarify contractually who is responsible for which report – you can find more on this in the guide on Property Management for Holiday Rentals.

How to register yourself and your guests – step by step

The registration process generally follows a fixed pattern that applies to all types of accommodation, even though the technical connection may differ depending on the type of rental (individual landlord, platform software, property management company).

  1. Registration of your accommodation as an accommodation establishment with the relevant system.
  2. Receipt of the access credentials for transmission to SES.Hospedajes.
  3. On every arrival: recording of the required guest data.
  4. Transmission of the data within the 24-hour deadline – either manually via the portal or automatically via connected management software.
  5. Retention of proof of transmission in case of an official inspection.

Note: Many landlords use specialised software solutions that allow guest data to be captured digitally before arrival and transmitted automatically to SES.Hospedajes. This significantly reduces the risk of missing the deadline.

Which guest data do you need to record?

Royal Decree 933/2021 requires a more extensive data set per traveller than previous systems. In practice, this means you should obtain all the necessary information from your guests as early as the booking confirmation, or at the latest at check-in, rather than asking for it only after arrival.

Data category Why it matters
Identity data (name, ID/passport number) Core of the legally required identification of travellers
Stay data (arrival, departure) Determines the start of the 24-hour reporting deadline
Contact and booking details Traceability in the event of an official enquiry

Attention: Collect the data early – anyone who only asks for identification documents on the day of arrival risks missing the 24-hour deadline if guests are delayed.

Fines: what really happens in case of violations

Violations of the reporting obligation are no trivial matter. The legal basis for sanctions is Organic Law 4/2015, which, in the chapter on security violations, provides for a fine range for serious violations of €601 to €30,000. A missing or late guest report can fall within this range.

Violation Fine range Legal basis
Missing/late notification (serious violation) 601 to 30,000 € Organic Law 4/2015, Chapter V

Important: This fine range concerns the reporting obligation itself. Anyone who additionally rents out without a valid tourist rental licence at all risks separate sanctions under the Balearic Tourism Law – two different sets of regulations, two different risks.

SES.Hospedajes and the ETV licence: two obligations, one system

A common misunderstanding: SES.Hospedajes does not replace the tourist rental licence (ETV) in the Balearics. Guest reporting is a security-law obligation, while the licence is a tourism-law requirement. Anyone renting out a property for tourist purposes generally needs both – the valid licence as a prerequisite for legal short-term rental and the timely guest report as an ongoing operational duty.

If you're considering taking over or transferring an existing licence, you should also clarify how the reporting processes will be organised under the new operator. You can find details on this in the guide on transferring an ETV licence. Anyone considering subletting instead should additionally check the legal limits in the guide on subletting in Spain.

Data protection and retention period

According to Real Decreto 933/2021, guest data recorded via SES.Hospedajes must be retained for three years. This applies both to the data itself and to proof of timely transmission. As a landlord, it's advisable to keep structured records – digitally or via connected management software – so you can respond quickly in the event of an official enquiry.

Question Answer
How long must guest data be stored? 3 years
Who can access the data? Relevant security authorities via SES.Hospedajes

Most common mistakes

  • Reporting only after the actual check-in conversation: If you ask for ID details too late, the 24-hour deadline becomes tight.
  • Confusing SES.Hospedajes with the ETV licence: Both obligations must be fulfilled independently of each other.
  • No clear responsibility with third-party management: If a property management company or co-host handles the key handover, it must be contractually clear who is responsible for the reporting.
  • Missing documentation of the submission: Without an archived record, it can be difficult to prove that a report was submitted on time in the event of a dispute.
  • Ignoring the Balearic register: The national reporting obligation does not replace the additional Balearic registration and documentation requirement that has been in place since May 2023.

What comes next? Monitoring and the future of the reporting obligation

Since the mandatory introduction of SES.Hospedajes in December 2024, authorities are expected to be increasingly able to digitally cross-check which accommodations actually report guests – and which do not. Since the platform is also explicitly designed to uncover illegal rentals, it can be assumed that controls will be more closely linked with other registers, such as proof of a valid ETV licence or the Balearic landlord register. For you as a landlord, this means: the more cleanly your reporting processes are documented, the more relaxed you can be about future inspections.

Checklist for holiday landlords in Mallorca

  1. Check whether you are already registered with SES.Hospedajes.
  2. Clarify who handles the reporting day-to-day – you yourself, a co-host or a property management company.
  3. Set up a fixed process to fully capture guest data before or directly upon arrival.
  4. Make sure every report is submitted within 24 hours and documented.
  5. Keep submission records for at least three years.
  6. Additionally check whether your Balearic registration and documentation obligation is fulfilled.
  7. Clarify the status of your ETV licence separately from the reporting obligation.

Conclusion

The guest reporting obligation via SES.Hospedajes has been mandatory for all holiday landlords in Mallorca since December 2024 – it no longer matters whether it's a hotel, a finca or a single apartment. The 24-hour deadline is tight, and the fines for violations, of up to €30,000, are severe. Anyone who cleanly integrates the reporting process into their day-to-day letting business, clearly distinguishes it from the ETV licence and the Balearic register, and keeps an eye on data retention, is legally on the safe side and can focus on the actual business: taking good care of their guests.

Official sources

As a private landlord without a hotel operation, do I also need to register with SES.Hospedajes?
Yes. Since 2 December 2024, the registration obligation applies to everyone who lets out accommodation to tourists – including holiday homes, fincas or apartments, not just hotels.
What happens if I miss the 24-hour deadline?
A late or missing report can be treated as a serious offence under Organic Law 4/2015 and punished with a fine of between €601 and €30,000.
Which systems has SES.Hospedajes replaced?
The platform unifies the former reporting channels "Hospederías de la Guardia Civil" and "WebPol/E-Hotel" into one central system run by the Ministry of the Interior.
How long is my recorded guest data stored?
According to Real Decreto 933/2021, the data must be kept for three years.
Is SES.Hospedajes the same as the ETV licence?
No. Guest registration is a security-law obligation, while the ETV licence is a separate tourism-law authorisation – both exist independently of each other.
Are there additional reporting obligations in the Balearics?
Yes, since May 2023 commercial providers of tourist accommodation in the Balearics have also had to keep a register and document the services provided.
Where can I find the official reporting portal?
SES.Hospedajes is operated by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, with the Ministerio del Interior as the responsible point of contact.
Who takes care of the reporting if a property management company looks after my holiday property?
You should clearly regulate this by contract, as the reporting obligation applies regardless of whether you organise the check-in yourself or a commissioned management company does.