There are three types of rental arrangements:
- Rental of housing as a main and permanent residence
- Seasonal rental
- Tourist rental
Rental of housing as a main and permanent residence
Spanish law is very protective of this type of tenant, who has the right to stay in the property and renew the contract for up to five years in the case of the landlord being a private individual or seven years if the landlord is a legal person (a company).
In some autonomous regions of Spain, such as Catalonia, there is a limit on the rent that landlords can charge, but this does not apply to the Costa Blanca. However, in 2024, rent may not be increased by more than 3%.
Seasonal rental
This differs in that tenants are resident and domiciled elsewhere, and the rental is for holiday, leisure, work, study, or remote working purposes; in other words, the tenant lives in the property temporarily. However, their main home is elsewhere.
This type of rental is governed by the parties’ wishes without any duration limitations or rent increase restrictions.
Tourist rental
Unlike the above, this is short-stay accommodation. Holidaymakers rent a fully-equipped apartment ready for immediate use. The landlord must obtain a tourist licence or an urban compatibility report and register the property in the tourism register of the Valencian Community. In addition, when tenants check in, they must fill in a traveller’s check-in form, which is sent to the police. Likewise, it is important to check that the homeowners’ association allows this type of rental in the articles of association. It is common for the developer to provide the buyer (either directly or through a manager) with this service to obtain the licence, registration, and other requirements.
