Ibiza has strict rules on holiday rentals, and for good reason: housing is scarce, and the island limits how many homes can be let to tourists. A villa may only be rented for short holiday stays if it holds a tourist licence registered with the Consell d'Eivissa, the island government. The rules apply to the owner and to whoever markets the house, and inspections are frequent in summer.
For a guest, that boils down to one simple habit: know the licence number of the villa before you pay, and check it.
Why the licence matters to you as a guest
An unlicensed villa is not just a legal problem for its owner. When an illegal rental is reported, by neighbours, by a platform or by an inspector, the police or the Consell can visit the house in the middle of your stay. In July 2026, local police attended a house in the municipality of Ibiza after a noise complaint and found guests who had paid €27,500 by bank transfer for one month; the case was passed to the Consell as a possible illegal tourist rental (Euro Weekly News). Owners and intermediaries face fines that can run into the hundreds of thousands of euros, plus orders to stop renting.
Beyond the risk of losing the holiday, an unlicensed house usually means no proper contract, no invoice, and nobody local accountable if something goes wrong.
What an Ibiza licence number looks like
The Balearic licence for renting a home to tourists is called an ETV, short for estancia turística en vivienda. In Ibiza the number normally looks like this:
| Format | Example | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| ETV-number-E | ETV-1234-E | The standard holiday-home licence; E stands for Eivissa |
| ET-number-E | ET-1234-E | Another tourist licence format you will find on some houses |
| AG-number-E | AG-0043-E | An agrotourism property (a licensed rural estate) |
Two things are not a licence: a number for an application that has not been granted yet, and a generic phrase such as "tourist licence available" with no number at all. Holiday licences in Ibiza are for houses; flats in apartment buildings cannot be rented to tourists as holiday homes, so a flat offered for a week by the sea is a warning sign.
How to check a licence in two minutes
- Ask for the number before you pay anything. A legitimate owner or agency gives it straight away; the law requires it to appear in the advertising and the contract.
- Look it up in the Consell d'Eivissa's tourist register, the official public register of licensed tourist accommodation on the island.
- Compare the details. The municipality, the address and the type of property in the register should match the villa you are booking. A licence that belongs to a different house is worse than none.
- Check the paperwork. You should receive a written contract with the licence number, the dates, the price and the name of the company or person you are paying.
Red flags of a holiday rental scam
Most scams we hear about follow the same pattern. Be careful if:
- There is no licence number, or the number does not match anything in the register.
- The price is far below similar villas. Real prices for a licensed villa in July are in our Ibiza villa price guide; a 5-bedroom sea-view house at a third of that is not a bargain.
- You are asked to pay the full amount by bank transfer to a personal account, often abroad, or to move the payment outside a booking platform.
- The photos appear on other websites under another name. A quick reverse image search often reveals a copied listing.
- There is pressure to decide now: "another family wants it, pay today to secure it".
- Nobody can show you the house, by video call or in person, and there is no local contact for your arrival.
- There is no contract or invoice, or the contract is with a name that does not match the payment.
If something feels wrong, stop and check before sending money. Once a transfer has left your account, getting it back is very difficult.
How we work at Ibiza Beyond
We only rent villas that hold a tourist licence, and we show the number on each villa's page in our villa collection. Before you book you receive a written quote and contract with the licence number, the exact dates and every cost, and you pay a registered Spanish business (Ibiza Beyond, run by Mirko Banno, NIF Y3194712A) with a traceable payment. We are based on the island, at Carrer de sa Creu 30 in Eivissa, and we are on WhatsApp before, during and after your stay.
Not sure where on the island to look? Start with our guide to where to stay in Ibiza.
San Lorenzo
Finca Utopia
9 bedrooms · 18 guests
From €49,600 / week
San José
The Villa 1
8 bedrooms
Price on request
Cap Martinet
Can Nemo
6 bedrooms · 12 guests
From €33,000 / week
Frequently asked questions
Is it illegal to rent a villa in Ibiza without a tourist licence?
For the owner or whoever markets it, yes. Short holiday lets in Ibiza need a tourist licence registered with the Consell d'Eivissa, and renting without one can lead to very large fines and an order to stop. As a guest you are rarely the one fined, but you are the one who can lose the stay if inspectors or the police close the house.
What does ETV mean?
ETV stands for "estancia turística en vivienda", the Balearic licence that allows a house to be rented to tourists for short stays. In Ibiza the number usually looks like ETV-1234-E, the final E standing for Eivissa. Some houses have a number starting with ET, and agrotourism properties one starting with AG.
How can I check if a villa in Ibiza has a valid licence?
Ask for the licence number before you pay and look it up in the Consell d'Eivissa tourist register (registreturistic.conselldeivissa.es). The address and type of property should match the house you are booking. A request for a licence is not a licence.
Can I rent a flat or apartment for a holiday in Ibiza?
Holiday rental licences in Ibiza are granted to houses, not to flats in apartment buildings. A flat advertised as a short holiday let is a warning sign, unless it is part of a licensed tourist apartment complex.
Is booking through a big platform enough to be safe?
It helps, because the large platforms now ask for a licence number before publishing a listing in Ibiza, but a listing on a platform is not proof that a house is legal. Check the number yourself, and be wary of anyone who asks you to move the payment off the platform.
Tell us your dates, group and the kind of house you have in mind: we reply with a shortlist of licensed villas and a written quote. Send a request or message us on WhatsApp.
