A new agreement between the Catalan Government, ERC, Comuns, and CUP includes these contracts in the housing legislation for the first time.

Catalonia is preparing to implement significant changes in the rental housing market. After months of debate—and a shift in stance by the Socialist Party (PSC)—the Government has reached an agreement with ERC, Comuns, and CUP to include seasonal rentals within the price control framework outlined in the Housing Law.

While these types of contracts won’t be eliminated, this marks an important step in limiting their abusive use, especially in cities like Barcelona where they had become a common loophole to bypass regulation. The goal is to bring order to a market that, until now, has grown with little oversight.

Seasonal Rentals Allowed, but Not at Any Price

Seasonal rental contracts—typically short-term stays for vacations, study, or temporary work, and lasting up to 11 months—will remain legal. However, with this new regulation, they will no longer be exempt from price caps. From now on, if a property is located in a high-demand (“stressed”) area—such as many parts of Barcelona—it must comply with the government’s rental price index, just like traditional long-term leases.

Previously, landlords often used this formula to bypass price limits, renting homes month-to-month at inflated prices to expats or locals, pushing many residents out of the market.

A key feature of the new legislation is the requirement that every contract must clearly state whether it is a standard lease or a seasonal one. The tenant must also prove that their primary residence is located elsewhere. While this won’t eliminate fraud entirely, it adds much-needed transparency and limits opportunities for abuse.

Still, a potential downside is that more and more landlords may lean toward short-term seasonal contracts as the norm, creating instability for tenants who are forced to renew frequently or move often.

There’s also a new rule for room rentals: the combined rent of all rooms in a shared flat cannot exceed the legal price limit that would apply if the entire property were rented under one lease. This closes a loophole that allowed some landlords to multiply profits unfairly through individual room rentals.

New Housing Inspectors: Monitoring Compliance and Preventing Abuse

Another major feature of the agreement is the creation of a Housing Inspectorate—a team of public officials who will be tasked with monitoring compliance. These inspectors, part of the forthcoming Catalan Housing Rights Law, will be authorized to check rental contracts, detect abusive clauses, and recommend sanctions. They will conduct both document reviews and on-site inspections.

The aim is clear: to give the administration real tools to oversee the market, especially in areas where irregular or even fraudulent practices have become common.

In addition, the agreement strengthens protections for publicly subsidized housing (VPO) in stressed zones like Barcelona. The eligibility period for these units to remain within the protected housing scheme will now be extended from 10 to 30 years, depending on the type of housing and the land on which it is built.

To prevent speculation, only those registered in the official housing applicant registry will be able to purchase VPO properties in these high-demand areas. This helps ensure that these homes serve the people they’re meant for—not investment purposes.

Registering Major Landlords and Fighting Speculation

The agreement also enables the creation of a registry of large property owners. Until now, this list included only companies and investment funds with multiple properties. But the new rule allows for individual landlords with significant holdings to be added as well. This is crucial for properly applying property transfer taxes and other measures targeted at discouraging speculative ownership.

Moreover, the protection status of certain VPO units set to expire in the coming years will be extended until at least 2027. The government estimates that around 36,000 units would otherwise lose protection by 2030, with roughly 8,000 affected this year alone. By declaring “stressed zones,” the government will now be able to automatically extend protection terms while those declarations remain in place.

This reform also follows recent massive demonstrations and housing protests, which have played a key role in pressuring political actors into action. Organizations like the Tenants’ Union (Sindicat de Llogateres) have been vocal in criticizing past delays and pushing for these reforms, which they say come “more than two years too late.”

A Step Forward, But Not the Final Word

With this new package of measures, the Generalitat is taking a significant step to tackle speculation, protect tenants, and create a more equitable rental market in Barcelona and across Catalonia.

For real estate professionals, landlords, and tenants alike, this marks a shift in how the seasonal rental market will be handled moving forward—and staying informed will be key.