A Casa Rural is a rural house that you can rent for holiday purposes. The concept is similar to a French gîte or a chalet in the Ardennes. Sometimes the owners also live in the property or breakfast is provided like a B&B. This article discusses the obligations to rent a Casa Rural to start in the Comunidad Valenciana.
Not on the coast
This goes without saying: a Casa Rural must be in a rural area. If you rent out a property in the coastal area, the property cannot qualify as a Casa Rural. If you are looking for a property to rent out as a Casa Rural, then look especially not in municipalities bordering the coast.
Read more about Spain's coastal law.
Authorised activities
When you get permission to make a Casa Rural out, you can rent out the whole property or some rooms for short periods. In addition, you may also serve breakfast, provided you have a food licence. Finally, you may also offer cleaning services in the rented parts. In this case, we are actually talking about operating a B&B.
Here are four tips on starting a B&B abroad.
General terms and conditions of a Casa Rural
First of all, the house should have a traditional character. The 'traditional character' is autonomously determined by the municipality. New construction in modern style is not possible.
In addition, the property may have a maximum of two floors and a maximum of 16 guests may stay at the same time. Finally, it is compulsory to provide information on local attractions, pharmacies and banking institutions, for example through brochures.
Technical conditions of a Casa Rural
There should be a stable electricity connection (not always guaranteed in the Spanish agricultural area). The property should also have potable water. You should also pay attention to the presence of a licensed wastewater disposal system, such as a certified septic tank.
The property must have a heating system for communal and individual rooms. The kitchen and bathrooms should have a ventilation system. Finally, there should be a telephone connection.
The common parts must also meet certain conditions. For instance, there must be 2 m² of available space per guest in the dining/living room, with a minimum of 14 m². Rooms must be insulated against noise.
Safety conditions of a Casa Rural
The main requirements are that the property has a first-aid kit and that it is fireproof. As forest fires can sometimes occur in Spain's interior, the property should also be protected against this. Ask for more info on this from the local municipality.
How a licence for a Casa Rural applications?
Applying for a licence for a Casa Rural happens in two steps.
First, you will need to apply for a permit from the local municipality through a Declaración Responsable. If your property is effectively located in an agricultural zone (a farm), you will need an additional permit Declaración the Interés Comunitario necessary. Through that application, you request permission to deviate from spatial plans. In that case, the land must be at least 5,000 m² in size.
In the second step, you need to register your property in the Registro del Servicio Territorial de Turismo.
