Can a landlord use a seasonal (temporada) contract to avoid the rent cap?
No — using a 'temporada' label to dodge rent containment is an abusive practice under Catalonia's Decret llei 1/2025, and a December 2025 Catalan law brings non-holiday seasonal lets under housing rules: if you live there for work or study, the tenancy protections and (in tensioned zones) the price limits apply — only genuine recreational, tourist or holiday stays sit outside.
The same enforcement decree obliges adverts, offers and contracts in tensioned zones to state the applicable maximum price and the previous contract's rent — and charging 30% or more above the permitted maximum is a 'very serious' infraction, with fines of up to €900,000.
If you're being offered an 11-month 'temporada' contract for what is plainly your home, that's a red flag worth challenging before you sign.
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Sources: Decret llei 1/2025, de contenció de rendes — Portal Jurídic de Catalunya; Parlament de Catalunya — llei que regula el lloguer de temporada i d'habitacions (des. 2025).
General information for people renting property in Spain — not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm the specifics for your tenancy with a qualified professional.
Last reviewed June 2026.