Differences between a holiday & seasonal rental
Learn what differentiates a seasonal rental from a holiday rental, and which is right for you
June 2025
If you think “seasonal rental” is just another name for “holiday rental”, this isn’t always true. In Spain, there are some key differences between these two property types. Read on to learn the differences between a seasonal holiday rental and a holiday rental, so you can decide which one is right for your property.
The difference between a holiday/tourist rental and a seasonal rental
In Spain, there are three different types of rental accommodation: a holiday rental, a seasonal rental and a long-term rental.
The key difference between a holiday rental and a seasonal rental is the length of stay. A holiday rental (alquiler turístico) is designed to offer temporary lodging to tourists. It cannot become a permanent home to whoever is renting it. In Spain, there is a strict law on tourist leases: a holiday let cannot be leased to the same guest for more than 31 days.
On the other hand, a seasonal rental (alquiler de temporada) permits longer stays. However, that doesn’t mean it reaches the level of a tenant’s permanent home. Stays in a seasonal rental start from 32 days. Common reasons why someone might choose to lease a seasonal rental include a temporary work contract, a digital nomad lifestyle, or a short educational course.
A long-term rental (alquiler de larga estancia) is just that. A tenant moves into a property for a period of one year or more, and it becomes their permanent residence. In Spain, laws are extremely favourable to tenants in long-term rentals, so many landlords find holiday lets or seasonal holiday rentals to be safer forms of income.
How long is considered a holiday rental, seasonal rental or long-term rental?
Spanish law is quite strict on the definitions of —and differences between— these three terms. It usually comes down to how long a lease is signed for:
- A holiday rental lease can be signed for a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 31 days.
- A seasonal rental lease can be signed for a minimum of 32 days. Technically it has no legal maximum; in practice, most landlords set a maximum of 11 months.
- A long-term rental lease is usually signed for a minimum of 12 months. However, some judges have ruled that shorter leases are, in fact, legally classified as long-term rentals. That’s because the law is based on the purpose of the lease rather than the duration— i.e., becoming a tenant’s primary residence. There is legal precedence for leases as short as 2 months to be considered long-term rentals.
In addition, certain deposits are required for different types of rental:
- A holiday rental does not legally require a deposit.
- A seasonal rental requires a deposit of at least 2 months.
- A long-term rental requires a deposit of 1 month.
Which law governs seasonal rentals, holiday rentals and long-term rentals?
The Spanish Tenancy Act can cause serious problems for landlords considering long-term rentals. As a landlord, you are legally compelled to renew the property for three years if the tenant chooses. Furthermore, it can be very difficult to evict tenants who don’t pay the rent, which has led to problems with squatters (okupas) in many Spanish cities. Legally, it is incredibly hard to remove squatters from your property — the process often drags on for years. As such, an increasing number of landlords are leaning towards other kinds of rental contracts.
The good news is that seasonal rentals do not grant tenants the same privileges. They are still covered by the Tenancy Act, but as the tenant is not using the property as their permanent abode, they do not have as much power over the landlord. Crucially, a seasonal lease does not give the tenant the right to stay in the property.
A holiday rental is not covered by the Tenancy Act, and it does not grant tenants any privileges. However, it will be affected by regional tourism rules. To rent out a holiday home, you will need to be licensed and registered by the Tourism Register of your region (comunidad autónoma), and you will need to abide by their rules.
Seasonal or tourist/holiday rental: what is right for you?
Whether you want to rent out a holiday apartment or set up a seasonal rental, you could be on track to establish a profitable business. Before you get started, though, it’s worth considering the pros and cons of both. Here are some things to take into account:
Tenant turnover
Naturally, a holiday rental has a far higher guest turnover than a seasonal rental. This means you’ll have to advertise your holiday home regularly, stay up to date with listings on a holiday rental website, and so on. You’ll also need to have the property cleaned more frequently.
While this creates more work for you as a landlord, it can also lead to more profit. You can charge significantly more per night for a holiday rental than for a seasonal rental.
Contracts
In some regions of Spain, a holiday rental contract is not a legal requirement. However, a seasonal rental always requires a legal contract. This contract should be watertight to prevent tenants from declaring that the property is their permanent home. For example, you should specifically state that they may not empadronarse (register themselves on the local electoral roll), and you should include their permanent address in the contract. It helps to hire a lawyer with experience in this area.
Regulations
There are some regulations covering seasonal rentals, but there are usually far more covering holiday rentals. That’s particularly true in popular tourist destinations like Barcelona or the Balearic Islands, where local regulations have been tightened in response to anti-tourist sentiment. You might actually find it difficult or impossible to set up a holiday rental.
Seasonal rentals do not require a licence, and they don’t need you to be registered as a holiday landlord with local authorities. This means that you’ll have less work to do overall.
Which type of rental is right for you?
This is a personal decision that each landlord will have to make for themselves. A holiday rental often offers bigger profits, but it comes with more work and significantly more red tape. A seasonal rental may not have the same huge profit margin, but it’s an easier option for a landlord. On the other hand, you’ll have to make sure your contract is crystal clear, or you could risk it being legally challenged.
At the end of the day, it’s possible to run a successful business with both of these rental types. It all comes down to your preferences and the demand for each type of rental in your area.