Where to book temporary housing: platforms, hosts, hotels or agencies

Terms used

• Hoja de reclamaciones — The hoja de reclamaciones is the official complaint form you can fill in against a hotel or business with the regional authority.
• Juicio verbal — The juicio verbal is a simplified court procedure for smaller disputes.
• Arrendamiento de temporada — The arrendamiento de temporada is a seasonal let for a temporary purpose such as work or study, not permanent housing.
• OMIC — The OMIC is the municipal consumer information office run by your town hall.

Key rules

• Registration number: Every tourist or seasonal listing must show a national registration number, in force since 1 July 2025.
• Platform protection: Platform refunds and rebooking help usually apply only if you pay and stay inside the platform.
• Direct booking: Booking direct is often cheaper but leaves you with negotiation or court as your only recourse.
• Agency fees: For ordinary residential leases the owner pays the agency; for seasonal lets you may still be charged.

The short answer

Book through a platform if you want the most protection for a short stay. Book direct only if you trust the host and accept little recourse. Choose a hotel or aparthotel for the first days, when you need certainty. Use an agency for a longer, furnished stay. The right channel depends on how long you stay and on whether the listing is properly registered.

How the four channels differ

Platforms. You sign with the host, but the platform sits in between. If something goes wrong, you complain to the platform first. If it cannot solve the problem, you can ask your card issuer for a chargeback. Protection only covers bookings paid and kept inside the platform. Payments made outside it are usually excluded.

On Airbnb, a host cancellation gives you a full refund and possible help rebooking. You must report an issue within 72 hours of discovering it and of checking in to be covered by AirCover. Booking.com also refunds in full if a property cancels, and may rebook similar housing. Policies change and differ by booking type, so read the current terms when you book.

Direct with a host or owner. You sign a private contract. If there is a dispute, you negotiate first, then use mediation or a small-claims court procedure (juicio verbal). Direct bookings are often 10-15% cheaper, but you have no platform to refund or rehouse you. Protections are stronger against a professional host than a private individual.

Hotels and aparthotels. These are regulated tourism businesses. If there is a problem, you can fill in a hoja de reclamaciones, an official complaint form, with the regional tourism or consumer authority. Consumer law applies.

Agencies. You sign with the agency or the owner. Consumer law applies if you are a consumer. Complaints go to the regional consumer office, often through your town hall's consumer office (OMIC), or to the agency's professional body.

What it costs

• Airbnb: a guest service fee of about 14 to 16 percent. Some stays show a host-only fee that is already in the price.
• Booking.com: usually no guest fee. The host pays a commission built into the price.
• Vrbo: guests pay about 6-12%.
• Mid-term furnished platforms: a booking fee, often a smaller percentage of the first month's rent (roughly 10-20%) or up to one month's rent.
• Agencies: for ordinary residential leases, the owner now pays the agency's fees. For seasonal lets, an agency may still charge you, so ask before you sign.

Fee percentages change often, so check the total price before you pay.

Stay length decides the legal regime

A tourist let is a home advertised for short tourist stays. Regional tourism law governs it and a regional licence or registration is needed. In many regions this means stays under 30 days, and in some under 31 days. Longer stays become a seasonal let (arrendamiento de temporada), which is a let for work, study, medical or holiday use. It is governed mainly by the contract, with no mandatory five-year extension.

The limit differs by region, so check the rule where the property is. Ask the host which contract you are signing.

Since 1 July 2025, hosts of both tourist and seasonal lets must display a national registration number in every listing, as well as any regional licence number. Platforms must check it and remove listings with a missing or invalid number. A listing without a number is a warning sign, whatever the channel.

Also note that building owners' associations can vote by a three-fifths majority to ban tourist lets. A listing in a building that has voted this way can be a problem.

Which to pick

• Under a month, first arrival: platform or hotel.
• One to a few months: seasonal-let contract, direct or through an agency or mid-term platform. Check the registration number and the contract type.
• Any channel: pay by card, not by cash or transfer to a stranger.

Use the decision, timeline, checklist and warnings below to finish your choice.

Choosing between options

Which channel should you book your temporary housing through?

• Booking platform: You want a refund or rebooking help if the host cancels or the listing is not as described. You contract with the host, but you can complain to the platform and then use your card chargeback.

• Direct with the host or owner: You want a lower price, often 10-15% less, and accept less protection. Disputes go to negotiation, mediation or court, so get a written contract.

• Hotel or aparthotel: You need a short stay with the strongest official recourse. You can file a complaint (hoja de reclamaciones) with the regional tourism or consumer office.

• Agency: You want a longer furnished stay arranged for you. Consumer law applies to you as a consumer, and complaints go to the regional consumer office or your town hall's consumer office (OMIC). Ask about fees first.

Start with stay length. Under 30 days (in some regions under 31) is a tourist let, so a platform, hotel or licensed host fits best. Longer is a seasonal let, where direct hosts and agencies are common. Either way, the host must show the national registration number.

Timeline and deadlines

• Compare your stay length with the regional tourist-let limit, usually under 30 days and sometimes under 31 days: before you choose a channel

• Check that the listing shows the national registration number, in force since 1 July 2025: before you pay

• Ask your card issuer for a chargeback if the platform cannot solve it: generally within about 120 days of the payment or the expected service date; some issuers set shorter windows such as 60 days

Checklist

• Compare your stay length with the tourist-let limit in the region where the property is

• Ask the host for the national registration number and check it appears in the listing

• Ask for the regional tourist licence or registration number where the region requires one

• Ask whether you are signing a tourist-let or a seasonal-let contract

• Keep the booking and payment inside the platform if you want its refund and rebooking help

What to watch out for

• Paying outside the platform: If you pay the host directly after finding them on a platform, the platform's refund and rebooking help does not cover you. Problems caused by you and minor issues are also excluded. Pay and message through the platform, and report any problem within 72 hours of check-in.

• Listing without a valid registration number: Platforms must remove ads with a missing, invalid or revoked number. Your booking could be cancelled, and hosts and platforms face heavy fines. Ask for the registration number before you pay and check it appears in the listing. Walk away if the host cannot give it.

• Private host with little recourse: With a private owner, a dispute means negotiation, then mediation or court. Consumer protections are weaker than with professional hosts, hotels or agencies. Get the terms in writing and pay by credit card, so a chargeback is possible.

Frequently asked questions

Is booking directly with the host cheaper?

Usually yes, often 10-15% lower, because there is no platform service fee. The catch is that you lose the platform's refund and rebooking help, so you rely on the contract and your card.

Will an agency charge me a fee?

For ordinary residential leases the agency fee now falls on the owner. On a seasonal let you may still be asked to pay it, so ask for the amount in writing before you sign.

When does a stay count as seasonal rather than tourist?

In many regions a tourist let means a stay of under 30 days, and sometimes under 31 days. Longer stays are treated as seasonal lets.

Can the building ban tourist lets?

Yes. Since the 2025 reform, the owners' association can vote with a 3/5 majority to ban them. Ask the host whether the building has such a ban before you pay.