Complaints and problems with holiday rental management companies in Alicante: a guide for owners
By Miguel Torres, administrator of Neurogestión, S.L. (AlicanteStay) and owner of apartments in Alicante · Updated on 9 October 2026 · 12-minute read
The complaints owners repeat most are always the same: not knowing what amount the commission is calculated on, charges that appear later, long lock-in periods, the listing and reviews tied to the manager, and rushed cleaning. In Alicante there are also legal risks that fall on the owner of the property: guest registration, keys and mid-term lets.
- Ask in writing what the commission is based on: gross or net.
- Insist that the listing is in your name and that you can leave with short notice.
- Ask who registers the guests, because the fine is yours.
- Ask how your apartment is cleaned and how much time is spent on it.
Download the free owner’s guide
A 5-page guide: the most common problems owners have with holiday rental management companies and how to avoid them before you sign. PDF format, 464 KB.
Why we wrote this guide: we are owners too
AlicanteStay was born out of these very problems. We are owners, and several companies managed our apartments. We went through what we describe here: statements we could not understand, charges we did not expect and cleaning that was not up to standard.
Fed up, we decided to create our own management company, with one clear idea: to solve exactly those problems. That is why, before opening it, we researched what bothers owners most.
How we researched it and its limits
We have reviewed Valencian and national legislation, the Generalitat’s frequently asked questions, notes from consumer organisations, guides and contracts from companies in the sector, and public reviews. There are two caveats worth keeping in mind:
- This is not an official statistic. There is no public data on how many owners complain or about which companies. Almost all the sources come from the industry itself, and reviews are individual experiences.
- We are not accusing anyone. We do not name companies. Many managers do a good job. What we describe are risks and practices that keep recurring and are worth checking before you sign with anyone, including us.
What owners complain about most, and what we do
A single table: what comes up repeatedly in industry guides, forums and public reviews, what you should demand from any manager, and how we do it at AlicanteStay.
| What owners complain about | What you should demand | How we do it at AlicanteStay |
|---|---|---|
| 1The listing and reviews stay in the manager’s handsIf the listing is created from the manager’s account, the reviews are tied to it and cannot be moved. When you leave, you start from zero. | A listing in your account, with the manager as co-host. | Accounts and listings are yours. If you leave, future bookings are transferred simply. |
| 2It is not clear what the commission is calculated onA percentage is advertised, but it is applied to the gross amount, including cleaning, taxes and the platform’s commission. | A contract that states whether it is gross or net and what is excluded. | 14 % + VAT on what you receive from the platform, excluding cleaning, laundry, deposits and taxes. If a booking is cancelled, we do not charge on what is refunded. |
| 3Undeclared margins on cleaningThe guest is charged one rate and the team is paid less; the difference is kept without appearing as commission. | Cleaning at real cost, with an invoice for the service. | Cleaning is not part of our commission and appears as a cost in your portal, with its receipt. |
| 4Long lock-in periods and notice periods of monthsContracts of 12 to 24 months, automatic renewal and notice periods of 90 to 180 days, sometimes with a penalty. | Exit with short notice and no compensation. | No long-term lock-in: a 3-month start-up period (because of the initial set-up work) and then 30 days’ written notice. Existing bookings keep the agreed commission. |
| 5Penalties for using your own propertySome contracts charge compensation if you block dates for your own use. | Being able to block dates without paying anything. | You block dates for your own use without penalty, if there is no confirmed booking. We are here to help, not to charge. |
| 6Urgent repairs without your approvalHigh authorisation thresholds, from €400 to €600, and invoices without a quote or receipt. | A low threshold, a quote and an invoice from the tradesperson. | Anything non-urgent over €100 is checked with you first. Everything with a receipt; up to 20 minutes at no charge. |
| 7Rushed cleaning and wear and tear on the apartmentWith many apartments and little pay, the time is cut; guests reflect this in their ratings and the listing loses visibility. | Knowing how cleaning is contracted, how much time is spent and who supervises it. | Professional cleaning, with protocols and a checklist, and the time each apartment needs. |
| 8Guest registration missed or lateIt must be sent within 24 hours. If it fails, the penalty falls on the owner of the property. | Knowing who does it, with what system, and having it in writing. | We submit it ourselves to the authorities. |
| 9Keys in key boxes on the public highwayIt is prohibited in the Comunitat Valenciana and exposes the owner to penalties. | In-person reception or secure digital access. | Never key boxes on the street: electronic locks with remote opening (Nuki) or keys handed over in person. |
| 10The money goes through the manager firstThe manager collects the booking payment in its own account and settles monthly in arrears. If it has a problem, the owner’s money is at risk. | Payment straight into the owner’s account. | You are paid directly, by the platform where it allows it, and then you settle the agreed amount with us. |
| 11Confusing statements and little informationLump-sum amounts with no breakdown, delivered late and with no way to check them. | A detailed monthly statement and real-time access. | A clear statement every month and a portal with bookings, income and expenses in real time. |
| 12Mid-term lets without a real reasonWithout a documented reason for the temporary nature of the stay, the contract can be reclassified as a main residence, with an extension of up to five years. | An individual contract with a stated reason and no chained stays. | We ask each guest for the reason, use an individual contract and keep a record; we do not chain stays. |
An illustrative example of why the basis of calculation matters
A booking with €900 of accommodation and €80 of cleaning. The guest pays €980, and we assume the platform keeps 15 %: €147. The owner receives €833.
- A manager charging 20 % on the gross amount (€980) takes €196 plus VAT: €237.16.
- With 14 % on what you receive, excluding cleaning (€753), it is €105.42 plus VAT: €127.56.
That is a difference of €109.60 on a single booking. This is an example with assumed figures; work out your own with your own data.
Download the comparison as a PDF
Cleaning, owners’ biggest problem
Of everything above, cleaning is what worries us most, because it is the first thing the guest sees and what weighs most in reviews. Our experience as owners is that companies managing many apartments end up doing rushed cleans. With a tight cost per clean and pressure to turn apartments around, the time is cut, quality drops and the service gets more expensive.
When cleaning is done in a hurry, you find bathrooms and kitchens that have not been gone over, bed linen that smells or is stained, and dust in places nobody looks. Guests mention it in their reviews, ratings fall and the listing loses visibility. The owner pays for that, not the manager.
- Cleaning and maintenance are vital. We treat them as the most important part of the service.
- Professional cleaning, with protocols and a clear checklist.
- The time each apartment needs, with no rushed turnarounds.
- Cleaning is not part of our commission and appears as a cost in your portal, with its receipt.
Personalised guest support, 7 days a week
Good management does not end with cleaning. How guests are treated decides whether they come back, whether they recommend the apartment and what rating they leave.
- Fast support 7 days a week, from 6:00 to 21:30, and in the guest’s language.
- Continuous follow-up during the stay: we ask on arrival, midway through the stay and at the end whether everything has gone well and whether they need anything.
- Personal recommendations: restaurants, activities and places to visit, and we tell them about the area.
- Attention to special needs, such as cots, late arrivals or accessibility.
- We ask for a rating on the portals, so the apartment builds its reputation.
Legal risks for the owner in the Comunitat Valenciana
Hiring a manager does not transfer responsibility towards the authorities. The owner of the property is the party who can be penalised, which is why it is worth knowing the rules.
| What Valencian regulations require | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| What a tourist-use property (vivienda de uso turístico) is | It is let in full, for 10 days or less in a row to the same tenant. More than 10 nights falls outside the tourist regime. | Frequently asked questions from the Dirección General de Turismo, 2 July 2026 |
| Validity of the registration | Five years; to renew, a new declaración responsable (responsible declaration) and the municipal urban planning compatibility report are needed. | Decreto-ley 9/2024 and the Generalitat’s frequently asked questions |
| Room rental | Prohibited in registered tourist-use properties; it is a very serious infringement. | The Generalitat’s frequently asked questions |
| Keys | Handing over keys through key boxes on the public highway is prohibited. | Annex III of Decreto 10/2021, as amended |
| Community of owners | An express agreement of the community by three fifths is required, unless the community statutes allow it. | Ley de Propiedad Horizontal (Horizontal Property Act), art. 17.12 |
| Cadastral reference | It must be unique and individual for each property. | The Generalitat’s frequently asked questions |
| Complaint forms and guest registration | Both are mandatory. Guest data is reported to the Police within 24 hours. | Real Decreto 933/2021 |
| Registro Único de Arrendamientos (Single Rental Register) | Annulled by the Supreme Court on 19 May 2026; only registration in the Tourism Register is mandatory. | The Generalitat’s frequently asked questions |
Penalties for guest registration
The guest registration under Real Decreto 933/2021 is supervised under Ley Orgánica 4/2015 de Protección de la Seguridad Ciudadana (Organic Law on the Protection of Public Safety).
| Guest registration infringement | Fine | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | From €100 to €600 | Sending the reports late or with formal errors |
| Serious | From €601 to €30,000 | Not reporting the guest records, not registering guests over 14, or not keeping the register for three years |
| Very serious | From €30,001 to €600,000 | Falsifying data or operating without being registered on the Ministry of the Interior’s platform |
The risk of mid-term lets without a real reason
Letting for a season, with stays of 11 nights or more, is a legitimate route when it is genuine: the Generalitat places anything over 10 consecutive days outside the tourist regime. The risk arises when there is no demonstrable reason for the temporary nature of the stay. In that case the contract can end up being treated as a lease of a main residence, with an extension of up to five years.
That is why we ask each guest for the reason (work, studies, medical treatment, building work on their own home), formalise an individual contract, keep a record and do not chain stays by the same guest. This reduces the risk but does not eliminate it, and we say so clearly in our contract.
Who receives the money: service provision or management mandate
How you are paid determines how much risk the owner takes on.
- Service provision (direct payment). The platform pays into the owner’s account and the manager invoices its fees. This is the safest set-up: if the manager has a liquidity problem, your money is not in its account. It is ours whenever the platform allows it.
- Mandate with custody of funds. The manager collects and settles monthly in arrears. To do this safely it should have separate accounts and suitable insurance; otherwise the owner bears the risk of non-payment.
What to ask before signing with any manager
Money and commissions
- Who receives the booking payment and when do I get my share?
- Is the commission calculated on the net or the gross amount, and what is left out?
- Is there any margin or commission on cleaning?
- What charges are there on top of the commission, written into the contract?
Accounts, listings and exit
- Is the listing created from my account, with your company as co-host?
- If I leave, do I keep the listing and reviews? What happens to future bookings?
- What lock-in period, notice period and penalty apply?
Operations and legal
- How are keys handed over? Are there key boxes on the public highway?
- What system is used to register guests and who is responsible for a penalty?
- How do you document the reason for the temporary nature of stays of more than 10 nights?
Maintenance and own use
- Up to what amount are repairs made without my approval, and with what receipt?
- Can I block dates for myself without penalty?
- How is cleaning organised and checked?
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common complaints owners have about holiday rental management companies?
The most frequent ones in industry guides, forums and reviews are: a lack of transparency about what the commission is calculated on, extra charges that appear in statements, long lock-in periods with long notice periods, the listing and reviews being tied to the manager’s account, and poor cleaning caused by rushed turnarounds. Not every company does these things; they are risks worth checking before you sign.
Is a property manager’s commission calculated on the gross or the net price?
It depends on the contract, and it is one of the biggest sources of confusion. A percentage on the gross price, which includes cleaning and the platform’s commission, leaves the owner with less money than the same percentage on the net amount. At AlicanteStay the 14 % plus VAT is calculated on what the owner actually receives from the platform, excluding cleaning, deposits and taxes.
Can I take my listing and reviews with me if I leave the manager?
Only if the listing was created from your own account. Platforms link reviews to the account that created the listing, and a listing cannot be moved to another account. That is why the owner should hold the accounts and the manager should act as co-host. At AlicanteStay, the accounts and listings belong to the owner.
What lock-in period is reasonable in a management contract?
A balanced arrangement lets you leave with short notice and no penalties. Some contracts on the market impose lock-in periods of 12 to 24 months with notice periods of 90 to 180 days. At AlicanteStay there is no long lock-in: there is a 3-month start-up period, because of the initial set-up work, and after that the contract can be ended at any time with 30 days’ written notice.
Who is responsible for fines if the manager fails to register guests?
Towards the authorities, the owner of the property. Hiring a manager does not transfer the responsibility. Guest registration under Royal Decree 933/2021 must be reported within 24 hours, and penalties under Organic Law 4/2015 range from €100 to €600,000. At AlicanteStay we submit the registration to the authorities ourselves, but you should always require in writing who does it and how it is evidenced.
Can keys be left in a key box on the street?
Not in the Comunitat Valenciana. In its FAQs the Generalitat reminds owners that handing over keys through key boxes placed on the public highway is prohibited. You must offer a reception service or secure digital access, such as an electronic lock. At AlicanteStay we use electronic locks with remote opening, or hand the keys over in person.
What is the risk of mid-term lets, with stays of 11 nights or more?
If there is no real, documented reason for the temporary nature of the stay, such as work, studies or building work on the guest’s main home, the contract can be reclassified as a lease of a main residence with an extension of up to five years. That is why at AlicanteStay we ask each guest for the reason, sign an individual contract and do not chain stays by the same guest.
How much should holiday rental management cost?
Industry guides put commissions between 10 % and 25 % of the amount, and there are cases of 25 % to 35 % plus VAT for full-service management. More important than the percentage is the basis of calculation and what is left out. AlicanteStay charges 14 % plus VAT on what the owner receives from the platform, with no hidden charges.
How can I avoid poor cleaning in my apartment?
By asking how cleaning is contracted and paid for, how much time is spent on each apartment and who supervises it. When a manager looks after many apartments, turnarounds tend to speed up. At AlicanteStay we treat cleaning and maintenance as the most important part: protocols, a checklist and the time each apartment needs.
What should I ask before signing with a property manager?
Who receives the money and when, what amount the commission is calculated on, what charges there are on top, in whose name the accounts and listings are held, what the notice period and penalty are, what limit applies to repairs without your approval, how guests are registered, and whether you can block dates for your own use.
Sources and limits of this guide
- Frequently asked questions on tourist-use properties, Dirección General de Turismo (Generalitat Valenciana), 2 July 2026.
- Decreto-ley 9/2024, of 2 August, of the Consell (DOGV no. 9910, 7 August 2024) and Decreto 10/2021, of 22 January, of the Consell.
- Real Decreto 933/2021, of 26 October, and Ley Orgánica 4/2015, of 30 March, on the Protection of Public Safety (Protección de la Seguridad Ciudadana).
- OCU: frequent disputes at the end of tenancies, over damage and deposits (2025).
- Guides, comparison sites and contracts from companies in the holiday rental management sector, consulted in October 2026.
References to commissions, lock-in periods and contractual practices come from the websites and guides of companies in the sector itself and from legal analyses, and are indicative. They do not refer to any specific company. There are no public statistics on penalties for key boxes or on owner complaints by company. This guide is not legal advice; consult a lawyer before signing a contract.
You may also be interested in: holiday apartment management · tourist licences · frequently asked questions about holiday rental management · AlicanteStay.
Want to see how we work?
We will show you the owner portal, the contract and an income study for your property, with no obligation.