How long can a seasonal let last?

Question

José Manuel Alburquerque · Accepted Answer

Under the law in force since 8 October 2026, it must last more than 31 days and, as a general rule, no more than twelve months, depending on how long the reason for it lasts. If it was signed for a shorter period and the reason still applies, it can be extended by express agreement, in principle without exceeding twelve months in total, unless the reason continues beyond that. If it lasts more than twelve months without the reason justifying it, or if more than two consecutive contracts are signed back to back with the same tenant for the same home, the first of them becomes a residential tenancy of a main home. That means a minimum term of five years, or seven if the landlord is a legal entity, such as a company. The tenant, for their part, can leave once the first month has passed, giving ten days' notice and without paying any compensation. Extensions and back-to-back contracts If the contract was signed for a shorter period and the reason still applies when it ends, the parties can extend it by express agreement. The prudent course is to do so in writing and before it expires. As a general rule, the contract and its extensions together cannot exceed twelve months. That limit can be exceeded if the reason continues, for example because the work posting is extended. In that case it is advisable to be able to prove it. If more than two consecutive temporary contracts are signed back to back between the same parties for the same home, whether as new contracts or by amending the previous one, the third turns the whole relationship into a residential tenancy of a main home from the first contract onwards. A change of tenant does not bring about that conversion, but it does limit the rent. The new temporary contract for the same home cannot raise it, on an annual basis, by more than the reference index for rent updates (the IRAV), which the INE, Spain's National Statistics Institute, publishes every month. In stressed residential market areas (“zonas tensionadas”) it is also subject to the rent limits of any residential tenancy. In Catalonia Catalan housing law adds its own rules, which should be complied with alongside the national ones: A temporary tenancy can be extended for as long as the reason continues and is proved. The extension is made in writing, stating the specific reason. It is lodged with the statutory deposit (the “fianza”) at the “INCASÒL”, the Catalan public body that holds tenancy deposits. If it is extended without the tenant proving the reason and that they live somewhere else, the contract becomes a tenancy of a permanent home from the date of the original contract, with its minimum term and extensions. If, instead of an extension, a new contract is signed with the same tenant for the same home, that contract is a tenancy of a permanent home, unless the landlord proves that the reason still applies. The difference is that the Catalan rule does not count contracts but looks at whether the reason continues and has been proved. At the end of the contract or earlier The contract ends on the agreed date. If the tenant stays on in the home with the landlord's consent, the time adds up and there is a risk of going beyond twelve months without a reason to justify it. The prudent course is to sign the extension in good time, stating its reason, or to agree on the tenant's departure. The tenant can leave earlier, once a month has passed since signing, by giving the landlord at least ten days' notice. In contracts signed since 8 October 2026 the tenant does not have to pay the landlord any compensation, even if the contract says otherwise. Seasonal tenancy agreements signed before that date last for the agreed term and end with no extension. If they are renewed, the renewal now follows the new rules.