Booking Guide

How to Book Holiday Apartments in Tenerife South Safely

Published February 2026

Who is this for Visitors booking holiday apartments in Tenerife South

Location Tenerife South

Every year, a handful of visitors to Tenerife South lose money to rental scams, fake listings on Facebook, cloned property photos, "owners" who disappear after receiving a bank transfer. Knowing how to book a holiday apartment in Tenerife safely means understanding a short checklist that takes 20 minutes and eliminates virtually all risk. I've been renting apartments here for years, and I've seen the red flags up close.

This guide covers the complete verification process, the only safe payment methods, the contractual minimum you should insist on, and the specific warning signs that separate scam listings from legitimate owner rentals. Follow every step and you'll book with complete confidence.

Verification Checklist

Check the VV Tourist Licence

Every holiday rental in Tenerife, apartment, villa, or room, requires a VV (Vivienda Vacacional) tourist licence issued by the Cabildo de Tenerife. This is not optional and not a bureaucratic technicality: it's a legal requirement under Canarian Decree 113/2015. A valid VV licence confirms the property meets habitability, safety, and fire regulation standards, and that the owner is registered with tax authorities. The licence number takes the format VV-TXXXXXXX. Ask the owner for it before discussing payment. Then verify it yourself: search "Turismo de Tenerife registro turístico" or go to the Cabildo de Tenerife tourism database online and cross-check the number against the listed property address. A legitimate owner provides this immediately and without hesitation. Any owner who says "we're exempt" or "it's in process", walk away.

Request a Video Call Tour

A video call walkthrough of the property is the single most powerful scam-prevention tool available to you, and it costs nothing. Any legitimate owner will happily show their property live on WhatsApp Video or FaceTime. A scammer, by definition, cannot show a property they don't own or don't have physical access to. The video call also gives you information that photos never provide: actual size of rooms, quality of furniture, view from the terrace, noise level from nearby roads, and, critically, you can verify the view matches the Google Maps satellite position of the building. During the call, ask the owner to open windows, show the pool, show the kitchen equipment, and confirm the exact floor number. If they make an excuse about why a video call isn't possible right now, take it as a definitive red flag.

Cross-Check Reviews

Before booking, search for the property and owner name across multiple review platforms. A legitimate Tenerife South rental typically has a track record: Google My Business reviews, TripAdvisor listing, or historical Airbnb/Booking.com profile even if the owner now prefers direct bookings. Reviews across multiple platforms are significantly harder to fake than single-platform review counts. Look for: consistency of the property description across platforms, reviewer accounts that have other reviews (not single-review accounts), and specific details in reviews that match the property being offered. Ask the owner directly: "Do you have any reviews I can read before booking?" A genuine owner points you straight to their Google listing or previous guest testimonials. Also check the Facebook profile age, a profile created two months ago listing holiday apartments is a warning sign.

Verify the Exact Address

Get the full street address including apartment number, urbanisation name, and floor before committing to any payment. Then verify it on Google Maps Street View. Does the building exist? Does it look like the complex in the photos? Is the distance to the beach what was claimed? Count the floors, if the owner says "fifth floor penthouse" and the building has four floors, that's a discrepancy worth querying. Check the street view timestamp: some complexes have changed significantly in recent years, and a 2019 Street View image may not reflect current reality, but you can at least confirm the building is real and in roughly the right area. Also verify the distance to the nearest beach using Google Maps walking directions, many listings claim "5 minutes walk to beach" when it's more accurately 12-15 minutes. This matters when you're carrying beach bags in 28°C heat.

Safe Payment Methods

Bank Transfer

Bank transfer is the standard payment method for direct holiday apartment bookings across Spain and the Canary Islands, it's not a red flag, it's normal practice. The key is ensuring you have a signed rental contract before transferring any money. The contract should state the owner's full name and address, the property address and VV licence number, your arrival and departure dates, the total price, deposit amount, and cancellation terms. Transfer the deposit to the account named in the contract, and verify the account holder name matches the owner's name. Keep the transfer reference. For the balance payment (typically 4-6 weeks before arrival), use the same account. If an owner asks you to transfer to a different account for the balance payment without explanation, stop and query it. Legitimate owners don't change payment accounts mid-booking.

Avoid Western Union & MoneyGram

Never use Western Union, MoneyGram, or any cash transfer service for holiday rental deposits. These services are designed for sending cash to individuals and offer zero buyer protection, once the money is collected, it is gone with no recourse. No legitimate holiday rental owner in Tenerife uses these services; they are exclusively used by scammers because the transfers are anonymous, fast, and irreversible. The same applies to cryptocurrency payments for holiday rentals, legitimate owners accept bank transfer or occasionally PayPal (with "goods and services" protection, not "friends and family"). If an owner requests Western Union, MoneyGram, Zelle, Venmo friends-and-family, or Bitcoin, you are being scammed. This is not a grey area. Report the listing to whatever platform you found it on and move on.

Deposit vs Full Payment

Standard practice for direct holiday apartment bookings in Tenerife: a 30% deposit secures the booking, with the 70% balance due 4-6 weeks before arrival. This protects both parties, the owner has confirmation you're committed, and you're not exposed for the full amount at the point of booking (when you've had the least time for verification). Be wary of owners demanding 100% payment upfront at the time of booking, particularly for peak season stays more than 3 months away. That said, for very short stays (1-3 nights) or last-minute bookings (less than 4 weeks out), full payment upfront is reasonable. Always get a payment receipt acknowledgment by email or WhatsApp message confirming the deposit has been received and your dates are confirmed, this creates a written record of the agreement.

Get Everything in Writing

The minimum contract for a direct holiday apartment booking should cover seven elements: property address and VV licence number, full names of both parties, exact check-in and check-out dates and times, total price (nightly rate, number of nights, any cleaning fee), deposit amount paid and balance due with payment date, cancellation policy (what percentage is refunded if you cancel, and at what notice period), and the owner's contact number. This doesn't need to be a formal legal document, a detailed WhatsApp message or email exchange covering all seven points is legally sufficient and practically useful. Screenshot and save it. Many direct rental owners provide a simple PDF rental agreement, ask for one if they don't offer it automatically. Spain has well-developed consumer protection law for holiday rentals and a written contract gives you solid standing in any dispute.

Looking for the perfect apartment in Tenerife South?

Our team is ready to help you find the best option for your stay.

Red Flags to Avoid

Price Too Good to Be True

In high season (December–March), a legitimate 1-bedroom apartment with pool in Tenerife South costs €70–100 per night direct from owner, and more through platforms. In mid season (July–August, November), expect €60–80/night direct. If you see a pool apartment in any season for €30–40/night on Facebook, Craigslist, or a random WhatsApp group, you are looking at a scam listing. The economics don't work: owners pay community fees, utility bills, insurance, cleaning costs, and mortgage on these properties. A price dramatically below market rate is not generosity — it's bait. The same logic applies throughout the year: a winter pool apartment below €50/night warrants significant scepticism. Market rate knowledge is your first defence. Compare any offer against listings on legitimate booking platforms to establish whether the price is plausible.

No Video Call Available

We've covered this under verification, but it bears repeating as a standalone red flag because it's such a reliable indicator. The excuses vary: "I'm not in Tenerife right now" (common, some owners are off-island, but they can arrange for a local contact to do the video call), "the lighting is bad at the moment," "I'll send you more photos instead," "I'm too busy this week." None of these are acceptable substitutes for a video call. An owner who genuinely can't be physically present can ask a local property manager, a cleaner, or a neighbour to walk the property on camera. If none of these options are offered, the simplest explanation is that the property either doesn't exist as described, is actually occupied by tenants, or has been cloned from another listing. Require a live video call before paying. No exceptions.

Pressure to Pay Immediately

Artificial urgency is a classic manipulation technique used in rental scams and in high-pressure legitimate sales environments alike. "I have another family interested in these exact dates, if you can't pay the deposit by tonight I'll have to give it to them." "This price is only valid for 48 hours." "Book now before my calendar fills up." Legitimate owners don't pressure guests to rush verification steps. A genuine owner with a desirable property in Tenerife South has no shortage of enquiries, especially in peak season, they have no need to manipulate a single potential guest into a rushed decision. If anything, a legitimate owner prefers a slightly slower booking process where guests have done their verification, because those guests arrive confident and become repeat customers. Pressure to pay fast before completing due diligence is the clearest possible signal that something is wrong.

No VV Licence

"We're exempt from the VV licence requirement." This is not valid in Tenerife. All tourist rental properties in the Canary Islands require VV licensing under Decree 113/2015 with no exemption category for private apartments. An owner claiming exemption is either uninformed (genuinely operating without compliance, which creates legal risk for you as a guest if authorities inspect) or is lying because the property doesn't exist or isn't eligible for licensing. Either scenario is a reason to decline. Additionally, operating without a VV licence in Tenerife carries fines of up to €18,000 for the owner, meaning an unlicensed rental has significant legal exposure for all parties. The verification takes two minutes online. There is no good reason to accept an unlicensed property when licensed alternatives are readily available at comparable prices.

View Our Apartments