What is “Casa Rural” – B&B in Valencian Region

“RURAL HOUSES” IN THE VALENCIAN COMMUNITY

The activity of Rural Tourist Accommodation in the Valencian Community is regulated in DECREE 184/2014, of October 31, of the Consell, regulator of rural tourist accommodation within the Valencian Community . [2014/9987] .

 This decree regulates the following:

 What is meant by “Rural Tourist Accommodation”?

1. The natural or legal persons who are dedicated to providing, on a regular basis and for a price, tourist accommodation in establishments located in inland areas of the Valencian Community,
2. The following are excluded from this decree:

a) Establishments that are located in municipalities that are in any of the following cases:

b) That their municipal term is bordering the sea.

c) That they are included or linked to a metropolitan area.

d)  That the model of occupation and use of the territory of their municipal term does not respond to the traditional rural model. the previous section

3. Notwithstanding the provisions of the previous number, in specific cases, the accommodation establishments provided for in this provision may be located, following a mandatory and binding report from the corresponding territorial tourism service, in areas whose use is eminently agricultural, livestock or forestry, or that present an environmental, cultural or visual interest that is consistent with the application of other sectoral policies and allows the economic revitalization of the environment.

What modalities are included in “Rural Tourist Accommodation”?

1. In inland areas of the Valencian Community , in addition to those already regulated by the Generalitat, the following types of tourist accommodation may be provided:
   • a) “Casa Rural”(Rural house)
   • b) Camping on a private property with inhabited housing.
   • c) “Albergue Rural” (Rural hostel) .
2. Casas Rurales will be classified into five categories: one, two, three, four and five stars.

Tourist hostels will be classified into two categories: standard and superior.
The qualification as “luxury” can only be held by five-star rural houses, upon request of the interested parties and in attention to their characteristics, services and facilities.

What is meant by Casa Rural-“Rural House”?

Rural house accommodation is understood to be that offered on a regular basis and for a price.

It must be  carried out in an establishment that

• It is located in a dwelling that occupies the entirety of a building, or part of it.
• It must have its own exit to the private plot where it is located, or to the public road.
• It must have at least with a ground floor, first floor and under cover
• And that can be exploited for exclusive use, or shared use with other clients together with the owner or other staff.
• The capacity of the rural houses will be a maximum of 16 beds.

Types of Rural Houses -Casas Rurales:

a) “Casa Rural-Masía” , “Alquería” or “Casa Rural- riurau” – Farming Rural House

When the accommodation service is provided in isolated buildings that are more than 50 years old, duly dated and cataloged and that, restored or not, respond to the traditional architecture of the area where they are located.

These extremes will be accredited by means of a certificate from the corresponding town hall.

b) “Casa Rural de Pueblo” – Rural house-village house.

Those rural houses in which the accommodation service is provided in buildings that constitute a single dwelling, are located in the urban area, and are preserved or have been rehabilitated in accordance with the architecture and traditional materials of the area where they are located, regardless of the number of their floors or heights, may bear the name town house. These extremes will be accredited by means of a certificate from the corresponding town hall. The rural house may add to its denomination “Casa de Pueblo” – Village house.

When, due to the traditional architecture of the area where the rural houses are located, the name used is different from any of those listed in section 1 above, they may add, with prior justification and compliance with the requirements therein, the traditional name of said area.

Signals

All establishments will display, next to the main entrance, a standardized plate that will include the category granted.

The characteristics of the plate will be determined by order of the department that holds the powers in tourism.
In the case of rural houses, their category will be identified with stars.

Requirements

The modality and category that corresponds to rural accommodation establishments will be determined based on compliance with the general and specific technical requirements , which are the following:

– Supplies and services

1. a) Guaranteed water supply and energy supply.
   b) Supply of water suitable for human consumption.c) Authorized solid waste and residual water disposal systems.d) Availability of telephone communication, when not on the premises.e) First aid sanitary equipment.f) Fire protection, prevention and extinguishing measures, in accordance with the provisions of current regulations on the matter.g) Information on pharmacy services, financial entities and tourist resources in the area in which they are located.h) Heating in rooms, bathrooms and common use areas .

– Buildings

The buildings where the rural tourist accommodation establishments are located must present a good state of conservation. They will not be located within the space that delimits the building line of the roads that are part of the State road network, nor of those that make up the basic network of the Valencian Community, nor at a distance of less than one kilometer from landfills or other factors of environmental contamination .

-Living rooms, dining rooms and furniture

In any case, a minimum area of 2 m² per accommodation place will be guaranteed, without in any case being less than 14 m².

The furniture will be in perfect state of use and conservation and, at least, will guarantee a number of seats equivalent to the number of places in the establishment.

-Other dependencies

Kitchens and bathrooms will have direct or forced ventilation for air renewal.
The rooms and other units for common use will have direct ventilation to the outside or to uncovered patios.
The rooms will be equipped with the necessary insulation to preserve them from noise and prevent the passage of light at the client’s will.

Specific requirements for “Rural Houses”:

• Rural houses, to obtain the corresponding classification as rural tourist accommodation, must be equipped with, at least, the following facilities:
• a) Hot water in the kitchen and bathroom(s).
• b) Light points and sockets in all rooms and common use areas.
• c) A complete bathroom, with bathtub or shower, for every 6 beds, including the users of the house.

Two bathrooms up to 12 beds and three when the capacity exceeds 12 beds. In the computation, the bathrooms incorporated into the rooms and the number of beds in these will be discounted.

• d) The specialties referred to in article 7 of this decree will have a living-dining room independent from the kitchen, which will be a different room, unless a different original structure is accredited by municipal certification.

2. Rural houses may have a maximum capacity of 16 beds, including extra beds. In general, its installation in bedrooms that exceed 25 percent of the minimum required surface area will be allowed.

Upon customer request and exceptionally, the owner of the establishment may install extra beds in bedrooms that do not meet the aforementioned condition in shared-use housing.

The maximum number of beds per room will be 4.

3. Under no circumstances may extra beds or sofa beds be installed in the dining room, living room, dining room, or other similar rooms.

In the case of “Shared Accommodation”:

1. The service of full board, half board or breakfast may be included, on a mandatory basis for the client.
   2. When the client is not provided with all or part of the alimony, the use of the kitchen, utensils and fridge with freezer and oven will be provided.
2. Rooms and bathrooms will be cleaned daily.
3. The towel and bed linen service will be changed with the arrival of new clients or every 3 days.
4. The washing and ironing service will be provided, or iron and washing machine will be provided for the use of customers.

In case of “NOT shared accommodation”

1. Furniture, utensils, kitchenware and crockery will be available in good condition and use.
   Clients will be provided with double service of towels and bedding, except for stays not exceeding three days, as well as sufficient fuel for cooking, water heater and heating.

Administrative regime:

Communication of start-up and tourist classification. Obligation

1. Those who intend to develop the activity of tourist accommodation in rural houses will notify the Tourist Administration of the establishment’s operation and tourist classification through a standard model addressed to the territorial Tourism Service of the province where it is located, accompanied by the documentation indicated in the following sections. Said body will instruct the procedure.
2. The communication of the start-up and tourist classification is mandatory for the exercise of the activity.

To carry out the telematic presentation of the applications, the Catalog of Interactive Public Services of the Generalitat will be accessed, accessible through the following page: , and the corresponding service will be selected, or directly through the page .

3. Together with the communication referred to in the previous section, the model of which is inserted as annex III of this decree, the following shall be provided: a) Document accrediting the physical or legal personality of the interested party.

Natural persons may replace the presentation of said document by the express authorization referred to in article 4 of Decree 165/2010, of October 8, of the Consell, which establishes measures to simplify and reduce administrative burdens in the procedures managed by the Administration of the Generalitat and its public sector. that the property has a water supply and power supply. That the water complies with the requirements for human consumption determined by Royal Decree 140/2003, of February 7, which establishes the sanitary criteria for the quality of water for human consumption, or a standard that replaces it.

That solid waste collection and disposal services are provided on the property site. and specific requirements required by this standard for its classification, and that it undertakes to maintain them during the development of the activity. 4. That it has a certificate issued by a competent technician certifying that the establishment meets the basic safety requirements in case of fire determined by the Technical Building Code, or standard that replaces it.

5. That they have the occupancy license for the home or, failing that, a certificate issued by the competent municipal technician in housing matters regarding compliance with the basic design and quality requirements in housing and accommodation buildings.
6. That they have the document that certifies having submitted to the corresponding environmental intervention instrument, among those established in the legislation on prevention, quality and environmental control of activities.
7. Where appropriate, that it has a certification issued by the project execution technician, specifying the adequacy of the facility for the activity to be carried out, and compliance with the requirements established by the applicable sectoral regulations. When appropriate, because the establishment is located on common rural undeveloped land, it will be expressly declared that the declaration of community interest that attributes the corresponding tourist use and exploitation has been obtained or, where appropriate, that it has obtained its exemption in accordance with current urban legislation. .8th. That it has, where appropriate, the documentation that accredits the specialty in which the establishment is classified, in accordance with the provisions of article 7 of this decree.

Registration procedure

1. The instructing body, in response to the communication made by the interested party, will automatically register and classify the establishment in the Registry with the modality, specialty and category that has been indicated, unless data has been omitted, is contradictory or essential documents have not been provided. Once the registration has been carried out, it will deliver to the owner a document that proves it.
2. Subsequently, said body may review:
   • a) If, as declared by the interested party, all the documentation referred to in the previous article is available and its formal validity.
   • b) If the general and specific requirements demanded by the standard are met in the establishment to hold the category with which it has been registered.
3. If, as a result of the previous verifications, deficiencies of any kind are observed, the appropriate procedures will be followed in accordance with the provisions of Law 30/1992, of November 26, on the Legal Regime of Public Administrations and Common Administrative Procedure, or regulation that replaces it.
4. The inaccuracy, falsity or omission, of an essential nature, of the data declared, the unavailability of the mandatory documentation or the non-compliance with the general and specific technical requirements demanded in this decree, as well as the fact of not starting to carry out the activity within a period of two months from the communication made, without prejudice to the criminal, civil or administrative responsibilities to which they could give rise, will determine the impossibility of continuing with the exercise of the activity from the moment in which such facts are recorded, and may entail, after hearing the interested party, the deregistration and cancellation of the registration of the establishment in the Registry and the revocation of its tourist classification .
   Inaccuracy, falsity or omission of an essential nature in data, statements or documents is considered to be that which:
   1. a) Affects the accreditation of the physical or legal personality of the interested party.
   2. b) Could imply a risk to the safety of people and, in particular:
      1. The lack of mandatory documentation on fire prevention and protection and/or the existence of deficiencies in the matter.
      2. The lack of preparation and implementation, if required, of a self-protection manual or plan emergency.
   3. c) Affects the responsible declaration and the self-assessment questionnaire regarding mandatory or free-choice criteria that lead to the reduction, revocation or cancellation of the registered or communicated classification; to the titles that accredit the availability of the property; or to the availability of the declaration of community interest and urban planning and environmental licenses that, if applicable, proceed.
5. The resolution that is issued, as well as those others that may be issued and that determine the completion of the procedure, will be adopted by the competent body that in each case determines the rules for the attribution of functions of the Consellería that holds the powers in the field of tourism.

Period of activity and cancellation of the establishment

1. The owners of the rural houses will communicate to the Tourist Administration their period of operation and the variations that occur in it.
2. Any closure of an establishment within the period of operation must be communicated to the Tourist Administration within fifteen days of its occurrence, indicating its cause and duration. Unless the closure is due to works in the establishment, when this exceeds nine consecutive months, the establishment will be removed from the Registry, and the owner must request the reopening in accordance with the provisions of article 20 of this decree.
3. In addition, the following causes will produce the ex officio deregistration of the establishment, after instruction of the appropriate procedure in which the interested party will be heard:
   1. Failure to comply with the determining conditions and requirements of the declaration and registration.
   2. Inactivity of the establishment without justified cause within the period of operation communicated.
   3. The commission of an infraction that, in accordance with current regulations, entails any of the sanctions provided for in articles 53.2.b and 53.3.b of the Law 3/1998, of May 21, of the Generalitat, or regulation that replaces it.
4. The cancellation of the establishment will also produce the communication of the cessation of the provision of accommodation services by the owner.

Modifications

Any modification that may affect the classification, capacity, ownership, name and/or availability of facilities or services of the rural houses must be communicated to the Territorial Tourism Service of the province in which the establishment is located, or through electronic processing directly at said body, except in the event of an omission of data or documents of an essential nature, will record it in the Registry and, for this purpose, will deliver to the owner a document that proves it.

Subsequently, in accordance with article 21 of this decree, the verifications that are appropriate will be carried out.

Is camping allowed on a Private house?

The answer is YES: Camping accommodation on a private property with an inhabited home is understood to be that offered, on a regular basis and for a price, to be carried out in a tent or caravan on privately owned land where there is an inhabited home.
2. The provision of this type of accommodation will be compatible with that of shared accommodation in rural houses, provided that the number of guests staying at the same time does not exceed 16 people.

What is an “Albergue Rural” –  Tourist Hostel?

Accommodation in a tourist hostel is understood to be that offered, on a regular basis and for a price, to be carried out in an establishment authorized to accommodate travelers in collective facilities with multiple rooms, with or without complementary services. The capacity of the hostels will be, at least, 17 places.