Which temporary housing suits your first weeks in Spain?

Key rules

• Eviction: In a tourist flat, seasonal let or room, a host cannot lawfully evict you without a court process; a hotel or hostel can end a stay under its own terms.
• Padrón address: Hotels and tourist flats often cannot be registered as your address; seasonal rentals, authorized rooms and contracted colivings usually can.
• Seasonal contract: A seasonal rental does not give you the automatic five-year extension of a normal lease.
• Prices: Prices rise in summer, at events and in coastal and island destinations.

For a soft landing of 1 to 4 weeks, a hotel or aparthotel is simplest, but it usually won't give you a registrable address.

What each format costs

Prices are 2024-2025 asking prices for mid-range places.

• Hotel: a mid-range room is €70-150 a night in the big cities and €50-90 in smaller cities. Hotels rarely give true monthly rates, so a month at nightly prices is €2,500-4,500 in big cities.
• Aparthotel: €70-160 a night in big cities. With long-stay discounts, a month is €1,500-3,000 in major cities and €900-1,600 in smaller ones.
• Tourist flat (piso turístico): A one- or two-bedroom flat for a month is €1,500-2,800 in Madrid, €1,800-3,200 in Barcelona, €1,200-2,200 in Valencia and Seville, and €1,300-2,500 in Málaga. Many hosts discount monthly stays by 20-40%.
• Seasonal rental (alquiler de temporada): 10-30% more than a comparable long-term rent. A furnished one-bedroom is €1,200-1,900 in Madrid, €1,300-2,200 in Barcelona, €1,000-1,600 in Valencia, €900-1,400 in Seville and €1,100-1,700 in Málaga. Utilities are often included or capped.
• Room in a shared flat: €450-700 a month in Madrid, €500-750 in Barcelona, €350-550 in Valencia, Seville and Málaga, and €200-350 in smaller cities. Central rooms, private bathrooms and included bills cost more. September is a peak in university cities.
• Coliving: a private room is €700-1,300 a month in Madrid and Barcelona and €500-900 in Valencia, Málaga and smaller cities, with bills, cleaning and community events included.
• Hostel: a dorm bed is €20-45 a night and a private room €50-90 in the big cities.

Seasonal contract or tourist let

A tourist let is a short holiday booking under regional tourism rules, with a licence number in the listing. A seasonal contract (alquiler de temporada) is a written contract for 1 to 11 months with a stated temporary reason such as work, study or medical treatment. Your agreement governs it first, then the general rental rules of the housing lease law, then the Civil Code. A seasonal contract that reaches 12 months without a justified reason, or that is signed more than twice in a row on the same flat, is treated as a normal lease. Don't take a normal long-term lease just for a bridge stay: it is built for much longer commitments. Furnished mid-term rental as a bridge covers the traps.

Hotel, aparthotel, tourist flat, room and seasonal rental compared

Which bridge housing format should you choose? Coliving and hostel are in the last two rows.

Acceptance for short stays depends on the town hall. Before you rely on an address, ask your town hall's padrón office whether it will register you there, which documents it wants and whether the owner must sign an authorization (which stays let you register).

How to choose

1. You need a registrable address quickly: a seasonal rental, a room with the owner's authorization, or a coliving with a contract.
2. You are arriving without having seen anything: book a hotel, aparthotel or tourist flat for up to a month, with free cancellation. Look for a longer-term place while you are there.
3. You are on a tight budget: a room is much cheaper than any whole-flat option, and a coliving can be a middle path with fewer set-up hassles.
4. You want flexibility and a community: coliving suits short, flexible stays; a hostel is the cheapest landing for a few nights.

If you travel with children

Hotels and aparthotels accept children, often with family rooms or two-bedroom apartments. Most shared flats and colivings do not accept children, so a room is rarely an option. A furnished two-bedroom seasonal flat costs €1,600-2,600 a month in Madrid and Barcelona and €1,200-1,900 in Valencia, Seville and Málaga. Everyone who lives there registers on the padrón with their own ID, so put each person on the contract. Temporary housing with children: what changes has the full checklist.

If you travel with a dog, cat or other pet

Each host sets their own pet rule. Many aparthotels and tourist flats list pet-friendly options with a cleaning fee. Most hotels and colivings restrict pets, so filter for pet-friendly places before you book.

If you are a student

Start with a university residence (coliving, hostels and residences has prices and booking). A room in a shared flat on a 1-3 month temporary contract also works. September is the peak in university cities, so book in July. A seasonal contract that states study as the reason, a room contract or a residence contract is enough for the padrón. Renting as a student: guarantor evidence and seasonal contracts covers what landlords ask students for.

Documents you need

• Written seasonal rental contract (arrendamiento de temporada), signed with the owner. Many town halls accept it as proof of address for the padrón, especially if it covers several months.
• Owner's authorization to register at the address, needed for a room in a shared flat and sometimes for other contracts. The owner gives it to you.
• Copy of the owner's ID, which some town halls ask for with a seasonal contract.
• Coliving contract, needed if you want to register at a coliving address. The operator provides it.