What is the difference between seasonal letting and holiday letting?

Question

José Manuel Alburquerque · Accepted Answer

A holiday let is the letting of a furnished home offered on platforms and other tourist channels, for profit, for a maximum of 31 days. It is governed not by the “Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos” (LAU), Spain's urban tenancies act, but by tourism regulations. In Catalonia, a holiday let must be entered in the “Registre de Turisme de Catalunya” (the Catalan tourism register) and, in many municipalities, must also have planning permission. Seasonal letting, which since 8 October 2026 has been called a temporary residential tenancy (“arrendamiento de vivienda temporal”), must last more than 31 days and is only possible if the tenant is away from their main home for a reason that can be proved, such as a job or a course of study. It is a residential tenancy and the tenant has the protection of the LAU. Holiday letting In Catalonia, a holiday let (tourist accommodation) is subject to these rules: It is let as a whole, not by rooms, for stays of 31 days at most. It can accommodate no more than fifteen people. It must be entered in the Catalan tourism register. The registration number must appear in all its advertisements. In the 262 municipalities to which Catalan Decree-Law 3/2023 applies, including Barcelona, it also needs planning permission, which lasts five years. Advertising it without authorisation or without the registration number is an infringement that carries a penalty. Temporary residential tenancies A seasonal let is a residential tenancy with its own rules: It lasts more than 31 days and, as a general rule, no more than twelve months. The contract must state the reason why the tenant is away from home. If it does not, it is treated as a residential tenancy of a main home. The statutory deposit (the “fianza”) is one month's rent. Any additional guarantee, such as a cash deposit or a guarantee, cannot exceed another month's rent. In Catalonia, the statutory deposit is lodged with the “INCASÒL”, the Catalan public body that holds tenancy deposits, together with the document proving the reason. In stressed residential market areas (“zonas tensionadas”), those declared as such because of the difficulty of accessing housing, such as Barcelona and much of Catalonia, it is subject to the same rent limits as any residential tenancy. The landlord also pays for minor repairs and must respond to reports of faults within five working days at most. It does not need a holiday let licence or entry in the tourism register. When the boundary is pushed A 32-day contract signed to get round the holiday let licence does not change reality. If the home is advertised on tourist channels and the occupant is not away from home for one of the reasons the law accepts, it may be regarded as an unauthorised tourist activity, which carries a penalty. In addition, the contract would not have a valid reason for a temporary tenancy. For holidays of more than a month, the national law does not make clear whether they qualify as a temporary tenancy. Catalan housing law excludes them from tenancies of a permanent home if the contract expressly states that they are for holidays.