Spain to lose 23,000 long-term rentals as landlords switch to seasonal lets

Finding a year-long apartment lease in Spain is getting harder. The country's Rental Observatory (Observatorio del Alquiler) projects that 22,927 long-term rental homes will disappear from the market in 2026 as landlords convert properties to seasonal or tourist lets, or sell them outright. That follows 25,836 permanent rentals lost in 2025, according to reporting cited by the Olive Press.

What changed

A Fotocasa survey of landlords whose contracts expire in 2026 found 43% plan to pull their property from long-term renting: 16% shifting to seasonal contracts, 11% to tourist lets, and the rest selling or leaving units empty. The pivot is being driven partly by regulation. Since April 3, 2025, new tourist rentals require 60% homeowner-association approval under the reformed Horizontal Property Act. Then on May 21, 2026, the Supreme Court struck down the national tourist-rental registry created in July 2025, returning registration powers to Spain's regions. That has made seasonal leases, which are legally simpler than a tourist license in most communities, the path of least resistance for owners.

Notably, fewer holiday rentals hasn't refilled the long-term pool. Idealista counted a 12% year-on-year drop in listed tourist flats to under 330,000, and roughly 84,000 tourist homes failed to secure required registration in 2025.

What it means for nomads

For remote workers who want a stable annual lease, supply is tightening and prices are climbing. One-bedroom long-term listings in central Madrid and Barcelona already run €1,400 to €1,800 a month. A seasonal contract on the same flat typically costs 20% to 40% more, per the source, and locks tenants into stays of one to 11 months without the standard renewal protections or rent caps of Spain's LAU tenancy law.

On a €1,500 base rent, that seasonal premium works out to roughly €300 to €600 extra per month, or €3,600 to €7,200 a year, for anyone pushed off a standard annual lease.

Renting a room isn't a guaranteed workaround. A January 2026 government decree caps combined room rents at the cost of an equivalent full flat and tightens seasonal-lease rules in high-demand zones, according to Reuters, though enforcement varies by autonomous community.

Practical takeaways

If you're planning an extended stay in Spain, budget for the seasonal premium and start your search early. Expect central big-city listings to skew toward seasonal contracts, and read the fine print on lease type before signing, since a seasonal contract offers fewer tenant protections than a standard annual lease. Rules and enforcement differ by region, so check local requirements for the specific city where you plan to base yourself.

Originally reported by Stamped Nomad.