Temporary housing with children and access needs: what changes

Not in that situation? Start with the general version: Temporary housing for a couple or family with children.

For families with children who also have access, medical or sensory needs and are booking a temporary stay in Spain. It explains which extra checks to make before you pay, and how to get the host's answers in a form you can rely on.

Terms used

• Persianas — Persianas are roller shutters on windows that block light and reduce noise.
• Centro de salud — The centro de salud is your local public health centre, the first stop for non-emergency medical care.
• Farmacia de guardia — A farmacia de guardia is a pharmacy that is open out of hours, including at night.
• Urgencias — Urgencias is the emergency department of a hospital.

Key rules

• Lift width: Ask the host for the lift's inside width in writing. It should be at least 1.00 m, and the full checklist is set out in "Step-free temporary housing: what to confirm in writing".
• Door width: Accessible doors and lift doors need a clear width of at least 80 cm.
• Written proof: Get the host's answers in writing before you pay, and note the date.
• Emergencies: Call 112 in an emergency, and make sure the address is clear.

Reference dimensions and medical or sensory advice here are general, so confirm them against your own equipment and needs, and ask your doctor about medication storage.

Check access before you book

A listing that says "accessible" proves nothing. Ask the host for measurements and photos, and get the answers in writing. The checklist below gives the full list of what to ask for. Two figures matter most: the lift cabin should be at least 1.00 m wide, and doors, including the lift door, need a clear width of at least 80 cm.

Older buildings often fall short of these limits. If the host cannot give you numbers, treat that as a no.

Measure your own equipment first: wheelchair, buggy or hoist. Then compare it with what the host sends. Confirm the dimensions against your needs, because a narrow chair and a wide one need different spaces.

Plan for medical needs

Ask these questions before you pay:

• Power: Are there enough sockets near the bed for equipment such as a CPAP machine, an oxygen concentrator or a hoist? Spain uses 230 V and Type C/F plugs, so check your adaptors. Have a backup plan for power cuts.
• Medication: Ask the fridge size and whether it holds a steady cold temperature, for insulin or similar. Ask if there is a freezer, if you need one.
• Climate: Ask whether there is air conditioning in summer and heating in winter.
• Lift: Make sure it works, in case equipment is delivered.
• Nearby care: Find the nearest centro de salud, the hospital with an emergency room (urgencias) and the nearest farmacia de guardia. Make sure the address is clear enough to give to 112.

Plan for sensory needs

• Hearing: Ask for visual or vibrating alarms and a vibrating or flashing doorbell. Ask for a quiet bedroom away from the street and bars. Ask about Wi-Fi quality if you rely on video calls.
• Vision: Ask for good lighting, contrast on steps, uncluttered rooms and no loose rugs. Ask for tactile or large-print guidance if you need it.
• Noise or light sensitivity: Ask whether the windows have persianas (shutters), how loud the street is at night and what the neighbours are like.

The decision below helps you pick which of these checks your family needs.

If you are staying longer

If this stay turns into a longer one, use the flat checks in accessible-home-checks for a long-term home. Those go further than a temporary stay needs.

Choosing between options

Which extra checks does your family need for a temporary stay?

• Medical care checks: Choose this if someone uses equipment such as a CPAP, oxygen concentrator or hoist, or needs medication kept cold. Focus on power, sockets, backup, fridge, heating and cooling, and nearby health services.

• Hearing checks: Choose this if someone has hearing loss. Focus on visual or vibrating alarms and doorbell, a quiet bedroom and good Wi-Fi for video calls.

• Vision checks: Choose this if someone has low vision. Focus on lighting, contrast on steps, uncluttered layouts and no loose rugs.

• Noise and light checks: Choose this if a child or adult is sensitive to noise or light. Focus on shutters (persianas), night street noise and neighbours.

Run the checks for every need in your household; if the host cannot confirm a key item in writing, choose another place.

Checklist

• Count the steps from the street to the lift or flat, and note the floor level.

• Ask for a dated photo of the lift with a tape measure showing the cabin is at least 1.00 m wide, and a door clear width of at least 80 cm.

• Ask for door and corridor widths in centimetres: doors at least 80 cm clear, ideally 85 cm or more, and corridors at least 1.10 to 1.20 m.

• Check there is a 1.50 m turning circle in the bathroom and main rooms.

• Ask for a walk-in shower rather than a tub, and check for a shower seat, grab bars, toilet height and space to transfer from the side.

• Check the bed height and the free space beside it, and the slope of any ramp (6 to 10% at most).

• Ask for a video walk-through from the street to the bed.

• Get the host's confirmation in writing in the platform chat and note the date.

• For medical needs, confirm reliable power and enough sockets near the bed, a backup for power cuts, fridge size and temperature for medication, and that the lift works for equipment delivery.

• Find the nearest health centre (centro de salud), the hospital with emergency room (urgencias) and a 24-hour pharmacy (farmacia de guardia), and make sure 112 works with a clear address.

• For hearing needs, ask for visual or vibrating alarms and doorbell, and a quiet bedroom away from the street and bars.

• For vision needs, ask for good lighting, contrast on steps, uncluttered layouts and no loose rugs.

• For noise or light sensitivity, ask about shutters (persianas), street noise at night and neighbours.

Frequently asked questions

What if the building is old and the lift is too small?

Older buildings often fall short of current accessibility sizes. Ask the host for a photo of the lift cabin with a tape measure in the shot, then compare it with your wheelchair or equipment. If it does not fit, choose a ground-floor or step-free flat instead.

What should I do about medication that needs a fridge?

Ask the host for the fridge size and its temperature, and whether there is a freezer if you need one. Insulin and similar medicines need steady cold, so confirm this in writing before you book.

How can I prepare for a power cut if we use medical equipment?

Ask the host about reliable power and enough sockets near the bed, and make a backup plan for outages. Spain uses 230 V with Type C/F plugs, so check your equipment works with that.