Jávea Sets a Limit of 4,584 Tourist Homes
The Jávea Town Council has taken a decisive step in regulating short-term tourist rentals (VUT): the full council meeting on 28 May approved new planning regulations that zone tourism across the municipality and temporarily suspend licences for tourist apartments while the final approval process unfolds.
With this measure, the council aims to bring order to a market that has seen unchecked growth in recent years. The new rules now enter a 45-working-day public consultation period during which objections can be submitted before final approval.
Administrative limbo: Between the expiry of the previous suspension in April and the publication of the new agreement in the BOP, any licence applications already submitted will be assessed and granted if they meet the legal requirements currently in force.
A Maximum of 4,584 Tourist Homes Across the Municipality
The new plan does not ban tourism — it zones it. A study by expert Armando Ortuño found that Jávea has 26,820 homes in total, of which 4,226 were registered as tourist rentals in January 2026. On that basis, the council has set a maximum cap of 4,584 tourist properties, leaving room for only around 358 more units.
The distribution of the cap by neighborhoods reflects the different levels of tourism pressure in each area. El Tosalet and Montañar account for the largest capacity in absolute numbers.
The trend: from 5,973 tourist rentals in 2025 to 4,226 in 2026
The figures underpinning the governing team’s case are striking. In February 2025, Xàbia hit a historic peak of 5,973 tourist properties, representing 22.27% of the total housing stock. In under a year, and thanks to controls put in place, that figure had dropped to 4,226 units by January 2026 — equivalent to 15.76% of the total.
Economic context: The services sector accounts for roughly 80% of Jávea ‘s economy. The municipal government insists its goal is to “make residents and tourists compatible”, not to eliminate tourism from the town.
With the new cap set at 4,584 tourist rentals and only 358 units of headroom remaining, the regulation seeks to balance coexistence between residents and visitors in a municipality whose economy relies heavily on tourism.