Weddings, birthdays and private events at your holiday property: permits and platform rules (2026)

Updated: 10 November 2026

Someone wants your country house for a wedding, your villa for a birthday or the whole hotel for a weekend with friends. Before you say yes, it helps to know which permits may be needed and what the platforms do not allow. We read Andalusia's catalogue of public shows (Decree 155/2018), the holiday rental decree, the Portuguese guide to the special noise licence, an Italian regional guide and the Airbnb and Booking.com rules (links at the end). Where we could not confirm something we say so. This is not legal advice: check with your town hall or adviser before you accept the event.

Staying is not the same as celebrating

A tourist property is licensed to accommodate guests. A banquet, loud music or guests who do not sleep there are a different activity.
What matters is who comes in (guests only or the public), whether there is an entry fee, how many people and whether there is music.
Rules change by region and town. Always ask your town hall.

Andalusia: the catalogue of public shows (Decree 155/2018)

Decree 155/2018 (BOJA no. 150, 3 August 2018):

Heading III.2.8.c, «event halls» (salones de celebraciones): leisure venues that offer their premises for «private social events for all ages», with food and drink as an essential part.
Heading III.2.7, food and drink venues: they may have rooms for meals and drinks at «private social events on a set date and time».
Art. 17.1.f: event halls close at 06:00 at the latest.
A private wedding is not outside the rules just because it is private: the catalogue regulates halls for private events.

Andalusia: what if the event is at a hotel or holiday rental?

The text of Decree 155/2018 we read does not mention «accommodation», «hotel», «weddings» or «banquets».
We did not find an explicit exclusion of private parties either.
We cannot confirm whether a private celebration at a hotel, country house or holiday rental needs its own licence. If you host events regularly, ask your town hall how that activity fits.
Decree 251/2023 only changed the catalogue on terrace music and insurance: it does not cover celebrations.

Andalusia: maximum capacity of a holiday rental

Decree 28/2016 (consolidated text, Junta de Andalucía):

Art. 5.4: whole home, up to 15 places; by rooms, up to 6.
Up to 4 places per bedroom; the 2 convertible places in the living room count towards the maximum.
Art. 2.5: you may ask anyone to leave who breaks the rules or wants to enter or stay «for a purpose other than normal use of the service».
The decree has no explicit rule on parties or events.

Noise and music

Quiet hours and noise bylaws are covered in our guide /ruido-fiestas-vecinos-vivienda-turistica-2026 (in Spanish).
If there is music, copyright (SGAE and other societies) is a separate matter: see /musica-television-hotel-derechos-autor-sgae-2026 (in Spanish).

Portugal: special noise licence

Guide to the licença especial de ruído (CCDR Alentejo, 2017) on the General Noise Regulation (Decree-Law 9/2007):

The licence is issued by the municipality (câmara municipal).
Without it, temporary noisy activities near homes are banned on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, and on weekdays from 8 pm to 8 am.
Wedding, christening or birthday parties: in a venue licensed for that use, a permanent noisy activity; in a home, neighbourhood noise; in a space not licensed for that use, a temporary noisy activity.
The guide does not say expressly whether that last case needs the licence. Local accommodation (AL) capacity and events: not checked.

Italy

The Emilia-Romagna region's events guide notes that art. 68 of the TULPS applies to shows in a public place or one open to the public, with a 200-person threshold between SCIA and the safety commission. It does not cover private parties or hotels: we cannot confirm whether a private wedding at a tourist property needs a licence. Ask your town's SUAP.

Greece

We did not find an official rule on private events at tourist accommodation. Not confirmed: check with your municipality.

Airbnb: parties banned

Airbnb made its party ban permanent in 2022 (official announcement):

Disruptive parties and events are banned, including open-invite gatherings.
«Party houses» are banned.
It removed the 16-person cap introduced during the pandemic.
Guests who break the rules can be suspended or removed from the platform.
The full policy is in Airbnb's help centre (link at the end); we could not open it from here.

Booking.com: set it in your house rules

«Parties or events» is one of the standard house rules.
Guests accept your rules when they book.
You set them in the extranet: Property > Policies > House rules.
We found no general Booking.com ban: it is your call.

How iQuota helps

We list your property in AI assistants with direct booking, payment at the property and no commission, with your house rules visible.

Want an official booking page AI can read and a connector with your real prices and availability, commission-free? The first 30 hotels join free until 30 June 2027.

See the Founding Hotels programme

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a licence for a wedding at my country house in Andalusia?

We could not confirm it. Decree 155/2018 regulates event halls for private events (heading III.2.8.c), but it does not mention accommodation. Ask your town hall.

How many people can stay in an Andalusian holiday rental?

Up to 15 places when let as a whole and 6 when let by rooms, with up to 4 per bedroom (Decree 28/2016, art. 5.4).

Does Airbnb allow parties?

It does not allow disruptive parties or events, open-invite gatherings or «party houses». Booking.com lets you set it in your house rules.

Sources

More guides for hotels

More guides for hotels →

Español · Italiano · Português · Ελληνικά