NEW LIMIT ON RENT FOR SEASONAL ACCOMMODATION CONTRACTS IN CATALONIA

On 1 January 2026, Catalan Law 11/2025 of 29 December came into force, which, among other measures, extended the current limit on conventional permanent housing rents to temporary or seasonal rentals. The relevant aspects are:

•          All temporary residential contracts (including those for limited professional, work, medical, academic stays, etc.), with the sole exception of recreational, tourist or holiday use, shall be subject to the Rental housing regulations regarding deposits, guarantees, rent and the passing on of expenses. Therefore, the maximum rent will be subject to the limits currently established for conventional housing rentals, which can be consulted in our previously published articles at the following links: https://www.balaguesala.com/en/post/new-housing-law-rental-agreements and https://www.balaguesala.com/en/post/irav-limit-on-updating-new-housing-rents

•          The minimum duration and legal extension rules do not apply to these seasonal contracts, but in order to be eligible for this exemption, the temporary nature and purpose of the stay must be stated in the contract and documented by the deposit of the security guarantee in Incasòl. A temporary contract formalised in accordance with these requirements may also be extended without being subject to the minimum duration and compulsory extension regime, provided that the need for the extension is for proven reasons and the tenant can prove that he is resident elsewhere. Similarly, if a new seasonal contract is formalised with the same tenant, it will be considered a permanent housing contract for all legal purposes (including minimum duration and extensions), unless the extension of the circumstances that caused the temporary need is proven.

•          As we have already said, the only use exempt from all these restrictions is temporary recreational, tourist or holiday use, although this holiday use must also be stated and proven, with the tenant's permanent place of residence also being expressly stated.

Finally, it should be added that the regulation also stipulates that room rentals are also subject to the same rules and rent limits as conventional housing, although the maximum rent that can be charged by the owner is calculated as the sum of the rents received for all the rooms in the property that are rented out.

If you would like further information on any aspect of this new regulation, please contact our office.

Balagué-Sala Lawyers