Malaga tourism: seven tourist rental complexes approved by urban planning in one month
Rush of approvals for tourist rentals comes as Málaga processes new regulations and a three-year moratorium to curb holiday accommodation
The number of new tourist flat complexes continues growing in Malaga city. In December 2025 alone, the municipal urban planning department approved seven tourist rental complexes.
The projects concern both the construction of new buildings and the adaptation of existing ones.
One of the projects that received planning permission in December is the one that Israeli investor group White has been promoting for years on Calle Victoria.
In January, the company demolished a wall that previously delimited the plot in order to launch work on two buildings separated by a new road (an extension of the axis of Calle Agua), which will house a total of 27 tourist flats.
Another project involves the transformation of the ground floor of a building on Calle Litoral for tourist use. The old Telefónica building next to it will turn into a luxury hotel with a view of Malaga Cathedral.
Another conversion for tourist use will take place on Calle Ordoñez 2 (next to Alameda Principal), where tourist rentals will replace the current offices.
There is also a project in the Trinidad district, on Calle Carril 20 to be precise. In recent years, the area has become a popular site for the registration and construction of tourist flats.
Other projects involve: 12 flats on Calle Rebeca, next to the Barbarela metro station; the conversion of 16 dwellings into tourist rentals on Calle Carretería 39; a new complex of 24 flats with a swimming pool on Alameda de Capuchinos.
Also in December, the city council authorised the refurbishment of a house located on Paseo de Sanch 47 so that it can be adapted as a hostel.
30 dwellings in premises and offices
One practice that the urban planning department has been following in recent years is the conversion of premises and offices into flats. With this, the city council seeks to combat the housing crisis. In December, it authorised the refurbishment of 30 units for housing use.
Since August, the city council has been processing an amendment to the general urban development plan (PGOU) with the aim of regulating the spread of tourist rentals and hotels of fewer than four stars. The initial approval of this dossier endorsed the implementation of a three-year moratorium to prevent the continued authorisation of new tourist dwellings in Malaga.
Until that modification comes into force, there is nothing stopping tourist flat complexes, hostels and lower-category hotels from developing in Malaga.
