How to choose a trustworthy holiday rental management company: a checklist

General information based on official sources, checked on 3 November 2026. It is not legal or tax advice.

Handing your flat to a management company is a decision based on trust: it will hold your keys, your guests, your money and, in part, your legal responsibility. This guide is a checklist for owners: what to ask before signing, which contract clauses to read calmly and which signs should make you pause. Every legal point links to its official source. The official texts are in Spanish.

If what interests you is the cost, start with how much a holiday rental management company charges. Here we go into trust and the contract.

What should I check before signing with a management company?

Five things, in this order: that the flat is registered in the Andalusian Tourism Register, who will be the operator, who registers guests, how and when they keep you informed and pay you, and what each commission includes. Get everything in writing and with a worked numerical example before you sign.

Is the flat registered, and what about the company?

According to Decree 28/2016, tourist-use dwellings are registered in the Andalusian Tourism Register (article 9), and the Junta offers an official search tool to look up registered dwellings; according to the Junta, the registration code appears in the registration resolution. As to whether a managing company needs any other authorisation, ask the Junta.

How it is checked, step by step, is in our guide to the holiday rental licence in Andalusia. A manager should be able to explain clearly how the management will be organised in the register.

Who should be listed as the operator?

Whoever is listed as operator in the declaración responsable answers to the authorities and to guests (Decree 28/2016, article 4). The decree presumes that whoever hands over keys, receives guests, looks after them, maintains, cleans or invoices operates the property (article 3.2). It is worth asking who will be listed.

According to the Junta’s note for already-registered properties, if a company does that management it must report the change of operator in its favour. How it should appear in each case, ask the Junta. Sources: the consolidated text of Decree 28/2016 and the Junta’s note.

Who registers guests on SES.HOSPEDAJES?

According to Royal Decree 933/2021, guests’ details are reported to the Ministry of the Interior by electronic procedures, immediately and in any case within no more than 24 hours of the booking or the start of the services (article 6). It helps if the contract says in writing who does it.

According to Royal Decree 933/2021, reporting outside the deadline is classed as a minor infringement (article 8.3.b). A manager should be able to explain who does it, within what time, and how they check.

How should the company keep you informed, and when do you get paid?

It should give you a regular report, ideally monthly, with bookings, income, commissions, cleaning, costs, fees and your payout, and tell you when and how you are paid. It is worth asking who receives the platform’s money and how long it takes to reach you. These are good practices, not a legal obligation we claim: have them in writing.

It helps to ask for a sample report and a sample payout with figures from another booking, without personal data, to see the breakdown before you sign. And to ask above what amount they need your permission for a cost or a repair.

What does each commission include, and what is charged on top?

It helps to get in writing what the percentage is calculated on (what the guest pays, what is left after the platform or another base), whether VAT is added and which services it includes: listings, pricing, guest support, check-in, cleaning, laundry, maintenance. Everything else should appear as an extra with its price, so you can compare on the same basis.

The usual ranges and how to compare offers are in how much a holiday rental management company charges. A good test: asking each company for the same simulation (“if my flat earns €X with three bookings, how much reaches me and why?”).

What lock-in and notice should the contract have?

The term, renewal and notice period are set by the contract. It helps if the term is short or easy to renew, with reasonable notice, and if it says what happens to confirmed bookings and to your listing, your reviews and your data if you leave. For legal questions, consult a lawyer.

What happens with damage and reviews?

Before signing, it is worth asking who checks the flat after every check-out, who reports and documents damage (for example, with photos), who handles the claim to the platform or the guest, and who replies to the listing’s reviews. We do not state how each platform’s cover works: it is set out in each platform’s terms.

Which clauses of the management contract should you read?

The ones that set what it costs, who answers for what and how you leave: term and notice, the base of the percentage, payments and payouts, who the operator is, guest registration, costs, damage and exit. It helps to read them with a lawyer beside you; this is not legal advice. Here is the list:

• Term, automatic renewal and notice. And what happens to confirmed bookings.
• Base of the percentage, VAT and extras. With a numerical example.
• Who collects and when they pay out. And what happens if a booking is cancelled or refunded.
• Who is the operator and what filings the company makes with the Junta.
• Who registers guests and within what time.
• Costs and repairs. Maximum amount without your approval.
• Damage, claims and reviews. Who acts and how.
• Exclusivity. Whether you can block dates for yourself or list on other channels.
• Exit. What you keep: listing, reviews, calendar, data.
• Data protection of your guests and each party’s liability.

What are the warning signs?

Hesitate if the company promises guaranteed income, imposes a long lock-in with a penalty, will not explain what the percentage is calculated on, has no monthly report, suggests listing without a registration number, spends without your permission or answers every specific question vaguely. One sign alone condemns no one; several together are a reason to stop.

What are good and bad answers?

A good answer is specific, in writing and checkable; a bad one is vague, avoids the subject or promises without conditions. The table sums up the difference on the most important questions, so you can take it to every meeting:

Question	Good answer	Bad answer
Do you only work with registered flats?	Yes, and they show you how to check the code in the register	“That’s a minor formality” or “we’ll sort it out later”
Who is listed as the operator?	They explain it in writing and refer you to the Junta	They don’t know what it is or avoid it
Who registers guests on SES.HOSPEDAJES?	They do it, or tell you how and within what time, in writing	“The guests do it themselves” or silence
What is the percentage calculated on?	Base, VAT and extras in writing, with a numerical example	Vague answers or “it depends”
How and when do you report and pay me?	Monthly report with a breakdown and a clear payment date	No report, or no breakdown of commissions and costs
What lock-in and notice are there?	No lock-in, or an easy exit; reasonable notice	Long lock-in with a penalty
Who approves costs?	You, above an amount set in writing	“We’ll let you know”
What about damage and reviews?	A clear procedure: photos, notice and who claims	“Each platform handles that” and nothing more
Do you guarantee income?	No: they explain what demand depends on	A guaranteed figure with no clear conditions

How does Orilla Host work?

This is what we publish on our website, so you can compare us: no lock-in (30 days’ notice; confirmed bookings are honoured); if there are no bookings, we don’t charge; monthly report and payout; cleaning by our own team, Hola Limpio, with photos after every clean; and one contact person on WhatsApp, in Spanish and English.

We only manage flats whose registration is in order, in Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María, Rota, Puerto Real and Cádiz. The plans cost 15, 20 or 25 % + VAT of what you receive for the nights; the details and an example are on our pricing page, and how we work on our owners page. How the management should appear in the registration, ask the Junta.

Sources (checked on 3 November 2026)

• Junta de Andalucía, Decree 28/2016, consolidated text (articles 3.2 and 4), in Spanish.
• Junta de Andalucía, note for already-registered properties, Decree 31/2024 and RTA search, in Spanish.
• BOE, Royal Decree 933/2021 of 26 October (articles 6 and 8.3.b), in Spanish.

Want us to go over the management contract you have been offered with you, or to know how much your flat could earn? We do a free assessment.

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General information based on official sources; it is not legal or tax advice. Before signing a management contract, have your lawyer review it.