NEW RUBBISH TAX FOR TOURIST ACCOMMODATION IN BENITATXELL
For Benitatxell, tourism is an important activity. The Town Hall approved a 2024-2030 strategic Tourism Plan and has invested back in 2022 on the access to Moraig Cove and its car park 740.681,87€. Of the 736 Tourist Accommodation registered in Benitatxell, around 70% is located on Cumbre del Sol. So any tax on Tourist Accommodation is felt by many residents and none residents on Cumbre who have property for rent, even if their property is only rented out for the summer period.
One minute reading summary
- From 2026 onwards tourist accommodation will be considered an economic activity by the Town Hall and the rubbish tax rates will be established based on the number of beds ranging from 287€ to 812€ (see graph below).
- Download the new rubbish tax rates approved for 2026
- Download the list of tourist accommodation in Benitatxell
- Benitatxell has the highest rubbish tax rate for tourist accommodation from 15 beds in the entire Marina Alta (see graph below).
- The 2024-2030 strategic tourism plan approved by the Town Council includes strategies and actions to promote tourism amounting to 3.285.140,00€. However, tourist accommodation is significantly penalised with a high and unjustified rubbish tax.
- What is a tourist accommodation? A tourist accommodation in the Valencian Community is defined as accommodation with a valid tourist licence that is let for tourist use for a period of less than or equal to 10 days, calculated on a continuous basis to the same tenant whose legal regulation is the regional DECREE LAW 9/2024
- What is seasonal accommodation? When the length of stay exceeds 10 days, it is not considered tourist accommodation but a seasonal one. In this case the legal regulation is the national Law 29/1994 on Urban Leases.
- The same property can be used for both tourist and seasonal rentals depending on the length of the stay and on the tourist licence number and seasonal rental registration number.
- Discriminatory treatment: unlike hotels and aparthotels, the number of beds is taken into account only for tourist accommodation.
- Despite receiving exactly the same services as homes in the same circumstances (the number of collections is the same as they are carried out simultaneously and without differentiation), tourist accommodation pays on average four times more fees despite generating less waste than a residential home with year-round occupancy due to their seasonal nature
- Comparison of rates: The flat rate for hotels is 453€. The only hotel in the municipality has 11 beds and pays 453€ in rubbish tax fees, while a tourist accommodation with the same number of beds pays 637€.
- Disproportionate and unequal tax burden: According to the 2194/2023 technical-economic report, tourist accommodation accounts for 16% of the municipality's housing stock in 2024 and contributes 37% of rubbish collection revenue.
- In 2025, the number of tourist accommodation fell by 23% following the 290% increase of the rubbish tax in 2024.
- The Town Council doubled the rubbish tax for 2026 even further up to 812€ to compensate for the drop in revenue.
- Forecast revenue for 2026: Despite the reduction in the number of tourist dwellings in 2025 by 223 dwellings, the forecast revenue from the new tourist accommodation rubbish tax for 2026 will be 30.342 € higher if the same 2025 tax rate (390€) is applied.
- In 2024 and 2025, the rate for tourist accommodation has been set at 390€ regardless of the number of beds and the rate for dwellings outside the village at 128,50€.
- Cumbre del Sol accounts for 70% of tourist accommodation in the municipality and will be the most affected area by the new rate increase.
- Income from tourist accommodation should not be subject to rubbish tax contrary to the policy of the Town Council. The rubbish tax should be calculated based on the cost of the service and not on the income generated.
Comments on the amendment to the rubbish ordinance approved on 7 November 2025
At the plenary session on 7 November 2025, the amendment to the municipal solid rubbish ordinance for tourist accommodation was approved. On 11 November, the approval of the amendment was published in the Official Gazette of the Province (BOP) with insertion number 8244 BOP 215 of 11.11.2025 and file number 4140/2025.
From 2026 onwards, tourist accommodation will move from Group 1 (Housing) to Group 7 (Leisure and Hospitality), and the following rates will be established based on the number of tenants in the tourist accommodation.
Rubbish tax fees for tourist accommodation in other municipalities in the Marina Alta region:
List of municipalities in the Marina Alta with rubbish tax for tourist accommodation:
- Benitatxell (1), 812,00 €
- Parcent (2), 600,00 €.
- La Vall de Laguar (2), 539,55 €
- El Verger, 535,39 €
- Senija, 439,12 €
- Benigembla (2), 350,00 €
- Alcalalí, 350,00 €
- Xaló (2), 350,00 €
- Benimell (2), 300,00 €
- Ondara (2), 278,86 €
- Pedreguer, 275,00 €
- La Vall de Gallinera (2), 215,49 €
- Benodoleig, 206,00 €
- La Vall d'Ebo, 110,00 €
(1) rate corresponding to tourist accommodation for 15 beds
(2) Tourist accommodation belongs to Group 1 (Housing) and it is not considered an economic activity
Javea does not have a fixed rubish tax for tourist accommodation. The calculation is based on the cadastral value and the number of beds.
List of municipalities in the Marina Alta without rubbish tax for tourist accommodation:
- Denia
- Teulada
- Gata de Gorgos
- Orba
- Murla
- Pego
- Llíber
- Castell de Castells
- La Vall d´Alcalà
Open thought-provoking questions awaiting answers:
If a rate of 390€ set in 2024 and 2025 supposedly based on the cost of the service, how is it possible that in 2026 the rate will reach 812€?. Has the cost of the service really doubled?.
If the annual rate for a dwelling outside the village is 128,50€, would it not be reasonable for a single-bed tourist accommodation occupied all year round to apply the same rate of 128,50€ instead of 287€? And if the tourist accommodation were occupied during the high season for a few months only, would it not be reasonable to apply a lower rate than that applied to a dwelling occupied for 12 months?
- If only housing with a tourist license rented for stays of 10 days or less are considered tourist accommodation, how can the Town Council apply the tax to dwellings with stays longer than 10 days, which are not legally tourist accommodation?
- How can the Town Council consider tourist accommodation as an economic activity contrary to income tax law?
- After the increase in the rubbish collection tax for tourist accommodation from 128,50€ to €390 in 2024 the number of accommodations fell by 23% in 2025. Would it not be preferable to accept the error of the policy against tourist accommodation rather than doubling the price of the tax to compensate for the decline in revenue?
- There is only one hotel offering 11 beds and one aparthotel in the municipality offering 240 beds and 736 tourist accommodations offering 4.059 beds. Wouldn't it be preferable to support the only existing accommodation offer equally and follow the actions and strategies of the 2024-2030 strategic tourism plan instead of penalize them?
What to do in case of disagreement with the amendment to the ordinance
- To lodge an appeal to the Town Council before 11 December, either in person at the general registry or by sending a general application from the electronic portal.
- If the amendments are not addressed, a complaint may be filed with the Ombudsman.
- An administrative appeal may be lodged to the Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the High Court of Justice of the Valencian Community.
How is it possible that the rubbish tax rate in Benitatxell is the highest in the Marina Alta region?. It is embarrassing to see that once again we are at the forefront with the most expensive rates.
ReplyDeleteGiven that rubbish from tourist accommodation and dwellings is collected simultaneously and without differentiation, on what basis does the Town Council assume that the cost for tourist accommodation is four times higher than for dwellings?
ReplyDeleteImpressive article, thank you for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteEs de sentido común que el coste del servicio de basuras de viviendas turísticas ocupadas sólo unos meses al año es inferior al coste de las viviendas ocupadas todo el año tal y como se refleja en la tasa de basuras de Benidorm.
ReplyDeleteThis is a concerning read. The article rightly points out the flaw in the Town Council's strategy. Doubling the tax again in 2026 to offset the 23% drop in tourist accommodation numbers from the 2024 increase is a textbook example of a self-defeating policy. It flies directly in the face of the approved 2024-2030 strategic tourism plan. They need to address the policy error and stop penalizing a key sector of the local economy instead of chasing lost revenue by driving more businesses away.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of a growing number of incoherent policies at local and regional level penalising owners of properties used for tourist rental. There can be no justification for higher rubbish taxes when a property is only occupied for e.g. 50% of the year vs a home occupied all year round. On the contrary, the logical thing to do would be to provide an occupancy related discount - instead, we face a 300% increase in the space of 2 years. Policies such as this and the ludicrous 10 day rule are combining to punish owners trying to operate tourist rentals within the law. The number of available tourist accommodations will certainly continue to decline with ill-thought through policies such as this, as will the resulting number of visitors contributing to the local economy. It makes zero sense in an area so heavily reliant on tourism revenues. Your article raises excellent questions and we will be lodging an appeal.
ReplyDeleteHow can the Town Council determine the cost of rubbish collection services for tourist accommodations if it does not even know the actual annual occupancy rate?
ReplyDeleteFood for thought:
ReplyDelete1. Casa Antiquary, with 3 rooms and 22 beds, pays 453€
2. Aparthotel Flamingo Hills with 40 rooms and more than 200 beds pays 864,50€
3. A tourist accommodation with 15 beds pays 812€
During the vote on the 2026 budget in the plenary session on 7 November, the mayor said with a look of satisfaction: ‘We should be pleased with the municipality's economic situation. There are resources for today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow and the future, regardless of who is in power.’ Seeing is believing!
ReplyDelete