Leaving an unsafe or hostile temporary stay safely

Key rules

• Emergency: Call 112 for any immediate threat; it is free and works without credit.
• Safety first: Leaving an unsafe stay does not by itself weaken your claim.
• Evidence: Photos, messages, host details and transfer records decide whether you can recover money.
• Cash rooms: Recovering money from an informal host is hard, and reporting the rental rarely returns it.

If you are in danger, call 112

Call 112 for violence or threats, a break-in, fire, gas or carbon monoxide, a medical emergency, or if you are locked in or held. The call is free and works without credit. Operators usually speak Spanish and English, and often other languages.

Stay on the line and give the address. The operator passes the call to the ambulance, fire brigade or police. The ALERTCOPS app can share your location. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, text-based services are available.

Leave first, then sort out the paperwork

Your safety comes before any refund. Leaving for genuine safety reasons does not weaken your claim, but how you leave matters. Before you go, if it is safe:

• Take photos or video of the problem.
• Save messages with the host.
• Note the host's name and take a photo of their ID if you can.
• Keep any bank transfer record.

Then tell the platform and the host in writing, ideally before you leave. If you booked through a platform, report quickly. Some platforms expect a report within 72 hours of finding the problem. Check the current deadline in your booking. Leaving without telling anyone, or without evidence, makes it easy for the host to dispute your claim.

Which police to go to when it is not urgent

File a denuncia at a station of the Policía Nacional (cities and larger towns) or the Guardia Civil (rural areas and smaller towns). Any of them must take your report and pass it on. In Catalonia the Mossos d'Esquadra take reports, in the Basque Country the Ertzaintza, and in Navarra the Policía Foral. Policía Local can respond quickly but is not the usual place for a formal complaint.

In major tourist cities, tourist assistance offices can help you file in several languages. Ask for a copy of your report: platforms and banks often want it.

If you paid cash for an informal room

You have weaker protection, but you still have options.

• Ask for the money back. Send a written demand by email or burofax (a formal delivery with proof of what was sent) for any nights or services you did not get.
• Go to small claims. If the host ignores you, you can sue in a simple small-claims procedure.
• Report fraud. If the host took your money dishonestly, report estafa (fraud) to the police. Tell your bank too.
• Report the unlicensed rental. The regional tourism authority or the town hall can fine the host. They will not usually return your money.

Consumer complaint forms may not apply if the host is not a business. With no receipt or messages, proof is hard, and cash is hard to trace. A short tourist stay is not a tenancy, so do not expect the protection against removal that tenants have.

Reporting online fraud

If you were scammed over the internet, the Policía Nacional has an online pre-report in several languages, including English. You normally must sign it at a station afterwards. The Guardia Civil has its own online channel. Also report to the platform's fraud team and your bank. For advice on online fraud, call 017.

The decision, warnings and questions below cover the rest.

Choosing between options

Who should you contact first when a stay turns unsafe or hostile?

• Call 112: There is an immediate threat to life, health, safety or property: violence, threats, a break-in, fire, gas, a medical emergency, or you are locked in. The call is free.

• File a denuncia at a police station: It is not urgent but a crime may have happened, such as fraud or threats. Go to the Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil station that covers the place.

• Report to the platform and host, then leave: You booked through Airbnb or Booking.com or directly, and the place is unsafe or not as described. Report it before leaving, with photos, messages and a police report where relevant.

• Send a written demand for a refund: You paid cash for an informal room. Send a burofax or email, then use small claims if the host does not pay.

If the danger is immediate, call 112 first. Otherwise document the problem, report it, and then leave. Leaving for genuine safety reasons does not weaken a refund claim, but leaving without telling anyone or without evidence makes it easy for the host to dispute it.

What to watch out for

• Little proof in a cash room: With a cash room and no receipt or messages, you may struggle to prove what you paid or what happened. Cash is hard to trace and no platform guarantee exists. Keep messages, photos, the host's ID and any bank transfer record. Take photos before you leave.

• Reporting the room may not get your money back: Reporting an unlicensed rental to the regional tourism authority or town hall may get the host fined, but it will not usually return your money. To recover money, send a written demand by burofax or email, then use small claims if needed.

• Consumer protections may not apply: Consumer protection and the hoja de reclamaciones (official complaint form) apply less clearly if the host is not a business. A short tourist stay is not a tenancy, so tenant protections against removal do not apply. Do not count on being able to stay. Plan where you will go if you leave.

• Fraud reports need to go to several places: A report to one office does not cover the others. Delay can make it harder to recover money. File a denuncia, report to the platform's fraud team in its app, and tell your bank at the same time.

Frequently asked questions

Which police do I go to if it is not an emergency?

Go to the Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil station that covers the place, whichever is there, and file a denuncia (a formal report). Policía Local is quicker to respond but is not the usual force for formal complaints.

Can I start a report online?

Yes, for crimes like online fraud. The Policía Nacional has an online pre-report in several languages, including English, but you normally must sign it at a station afterwards.

Is there help in my language?

In major tourist cities, SATE tourist assistance offices help with reports in several languages. A 112 operator usually speaks Spanish and English, and interpreter support is available in many regions.

What if I was scammed out of money for the stay?

Report it as fraud (estafa) to the police, and tell your bank. Also report it to the booking platform's in-app fraud or safety team. You can call 017 for cybersecurity advice.