A new-build Marbella property is a different onboarding from a resale apartment. The licence path is influenced by the development's history, the furnishing isn't there yet, and the operational details that take a year to settle in an existing rental need to be set up from scratch in two weeks. Here's how we approach it.
Before the keys: licensing visibility
For a Marbella new-build, the most important pre-handover question is the development's posture on short-stay rental. With the April 2025 community-vote rule in place, a recently completed development needs to have voted to permit new VUT applications before the licensing path becomes clear. Resort-style developments with rental built into the original pitch usually pass this comfortably; residential-led developments may not.
We check the building's vote history before accepting a new-build property. If the vote hasn't happened yet, we estimate the likely outcome based on the resident-to-investor mix and the development's positioning. We tell owners honestly when we don't know — and when the answer is likely to be unfavourable, we don't push the project forward.
Two weeks before handover: preparation
When the development confirms a handover date, we start the preparation work. The property needs to be furnished before it's bookable, and quality matters at the Marbella price point. We coordinate with furnishing specialists if the owner wants — most owners benefit from a furnishing brief that covers everything from sofas and beds to crockery and welcome amenities, designed for the rental guest profile rather than personal taste.
The energy certificate is usually included with the handover package; the nota simple and IBI receipts are not yet available immediately and need to be requested. We start the VUT and NRUA paperwork as soon as the keys date is confirmed.
Handover week: photography, snagging, setup
The day of handover, we walk the property with the owner and the developer. Snagging — the list of small construction issues to be corrected — is captured then, not later. We take initial photography that day if the natural light is right; otherwise we schedule the proper shoot for the following week.
The smart-lock installation, the wifi and amenities setup, the kitchen stocking, the welcome basket — all of this happens in the days following handover. Cleaning teams visit before any photography to ensure the property looks cared-for rather than newly delivered.
VUT and NRUA filings
Once the development's vote situation is confirmed and the property paperwork is complete, the VUT declaración responsable is filed with the Junta. Straightforward applications process in a day to a week. The NRUA is registered in our company name in parallel.
For a Marbella new-build with no community-vote complications, the path from handover to first booking is typically two to three weeks. With complications — a vote that needs to happen, paperwork delays — it can stretch to four or six weeks. We share the realistic timeline at the discovery call rather than promise a number that doesn't account for the variables.
What this looks like on the monthly statement
For the first three months after onboarding, the monthly statements look different from a stable property. Initial setup costs (cleaning, welcome amenities, professional photography) are itemised. Once the property settles into a rental rhythm, the statements normalise.
The honest summary for Marbella new-builds: the licensing layer is the variable to plan around. Everything else — the furnishing, the photography, the platform setup — is execution work that we run on a known timeline. We tell owners up front which side of the licensing variable their property sits on.
