Temporary housing for a couple or family with children

Terms used

• Alquiler de temporada — The alquiler de temporada is a furnished rental for a limited period, usually 1–11 months, not as your permanent home.
• Vivienda de uso turístico — The vivienda de uso turístico is a whole flat rented to tourists for short stays, registered with the region.
• Padrón — The padrón is the town hall register of residents, often used as proof of address.
• Secretaría — The secretaría is a school's administrative office, where you can ask about vacant places.

Key rules

• Registration number: Every short-term or seasonal listing must show a national registry number, so skip listings without one.
• Capacity: A tourist flat's registered capacity must cover everyone staying, and it cannot lawfully be exceeded.
• Kitchen: Ordinary hotel family rooms rarely have a kitchen, so look at aparthotels, tourist flats or seasonal leases.
• School address: Schools normally ask for a padrón registration or rental contract as proof of address.

Which format fits a family

Choose a place with a kitchen and separate bedrooms. Three formats usually offer both.

• Aparthotel or serviced apartment. Usually 1–3 bedrooms, a kitchenette or full kitchen, and hotel services. These are often the easiest to book at short notice.
• Tourist flat (vivienda de uso turístico). A whole flat with a full kitchen and 1–4 bedrooms. Expect a minimum stay of 2–3 nights and a cleaning fee.
• Furnished seasonal lease (alquiler de temporada). A furnished flat with a full kitchen and bedrooms, usually rented for 1–11 months. It suits you best if your bridge is longer.

Ordinary hotel family rooms rarely have a kitchen. Some hotels offer a suite with a separate bedroom, so ask.

Make sure everyone legally fits

There is no single national limit on people per room. The region's tourism rules and the licensed capacity of the room or flat decide it. A hotel family room typically fits 3–4 people, and some fit 5. Aparthotel apartments usually sleep 2–6, depending on bedrooms. Extra beds or cots are added on request, usually one or two, and never beyond the licensed capacity.

A tourist flat's capacity is normally based on its bedrooms and beds, at roughly 2 people per bedroom. It cannot lawfully be exceeded. Bringing more guests than allowed risks fines from regional inspectors, complaints from neighbours and removal of the listing. Exact ratios and fines vary by region.

Since 1 July 2025, short-term and seasonal rentals must show a registration number from the national registry in every listing. No number means you should not book.

What children and extra beds cost

Prices vary by property and season, so ask before you pay. Typically, babies and toddlers up to 2 stay free. A cot is free or costs about €5–15 a night. Children up to roughly 12 often pay a reduced supplement or use existing beds free. Extra adults or extra beds usually cost about €15–40 a night. Tourist flats often price by number of guests, with a surcharge above a base occupancy. Many add a cleaning fee and a deposit.

Stability for the school start

The school year starts in early to mid September, with dates set by each region. Public school admission runs in spring, usually March–May, for the following year. In the main round, your address can affect catchment-area points.

Schools normally ask for proof of address: your padrón registration or a rental contract. Aim to have a stable address, and the padrón if you can, before the spring window. A short tourist stay may not give you that, so a seasonal lease is often the safer bridge.

If you arrive late, apply to the regional education office or the school's secretaría for a vacant seat. This is possible all year. Get an address in place as early as you can before September, and be in your stable home when classes begin. Dates and documents differ by region, so ask the education office for your area.

Use the checklist, documents list and timeline below as you search.

Timeline and deadlines

• Choose a format with a kitchen and separate bedrooms: aparthotel, tourist flat or furnished seasonal-lease flat: before you arrive

• Sign a furnished seasonal lease if you need a longer bridge: usually runs for 1–11 months

• Get a stable address, and the padrón if possible, before the public school admission window: before the spring window, usually March–May

• Apply for a vacant seat at the regional education office or the school's secretaría: as soon as you have proof of address, any time of year

Documents you need

• Habitability certificate (cédula de habitabilidad) of a tourist flat, issued by the region. It usually sets the flat's capacity, so ask the host for it or for the licensed capacity.

• Registration number from the national rental registry, which every short-term or seasonal listing must display since 1 July 2025.

• Proof of address for school applications: your padrón registration or a rental contract. Schools normally ask for it, and in the main round the address can affect catchment-area points.

Checklist

• Ask the hotel or aparthotel how many people the room is licensed for, and check it fits your whole family.

• Ask for any extra bed or cot to be confirmed with your booking.

• Ask what the property charges for children, extra adults and extra beds.

• Check that a tourist flat's registered capacity covers every person staying, based on its bedrooms and beds.

• Check that the listing shows a registration number.

• Ask about the cleaning fee and deposit before you pay.

Occupancy limits, supplements and fines vary by region and property, so confirm them with the property.

Frequently asked questions

Can we add a cot or extra bed to a hotel room?

Yes, most hotels add one or two extra beds or cots on request, as long as the room stays within its licensed and fire capacity. Ask when you book so the room is set up before you arrive.

Do children cost extra in an aparthotel or tourist flat?

Often a little, depending on age and the property. Babies and toddlers up to 2 usually stay free, and older children may pay a reduced supplement or use existing beds free. Ask for the price of extra beds before you pay.

What happens if we bring more guests than a tourist flat allows?

You risk fines that can reach thousands of euros, complaints from neighbours, and the flat being removed from the registry. The host cannot lawfully let you exceed the registered capacity, so choose a flat with enough bedrooms from the start.

We arrive after the school year has started. Can our children still get a place?

Yes, Late arrivals apply to the regional education office, or to a school's secretaría, for any vacant seat, and this is possible all year.