Catalonia has just implemented price controls for seasonal and room rentals. Starting this month, all expiring contracts will have to comply with the price cap already in place for permanent housing in most of the region. The real estate sector, however, warns that this change will be a long-term issue and that the new regulation is leaving many landlords full of doubts, especially small ones, those without a company behind them.
"There is significant concern," says Òscar Gorgues, manager of the Barcelona Chamber of Urban Property. Seasonal rentals, he explains, tend to cause more headaches because they require more expenses: furniture, cleaning services, utilities... it all adds up.
And on top of that, these rentals pay more taxes. They cannot apply the 50% reduction in personal income tax, so they are taxed on 100% of the net income, but now they also have a price cap. Taxation, in fact, is one of the issues that generates the most questions.
With this new system, many owners—especially those less professional—feel they won't be able to recoup their investment or cover the apartment's maintenance, says Gorgues. "We're waiting to see what they do," he adds.
Guifré Homedes, second vice president of COAPI Barcelona and general manager of Amat Immobiliaris, believes that the key factor in whether an owner continues with seasonal rentals or switches to another model will be the difference between the price of the last contract and the new cap. "We'll see the effect throughout the year; it won't be immediate," he points out.
Homedes explains that, once they do the math, owners have four options: continue renting seasonally, sell the apartment, switch to vacation or recreational rentals—which are still outside the cap—or move to long-term rentals. "We don't think many will choose this last option," he warns.
The Catalan government decided to extend price controls to seasonal rentals because it suspected many landlords were using this loophole to circumvent regulations. They were offering short-term contracts to tenants who actually lived there year-round, simply to raise the rent. According to the Ministry of Housing, this practice has increased by 52% in just one year. It now accounts for one in ten rental contracts. To give you an idea: 2,242 seasonal rental contracts were signed in the first quarter of 2024, and 3,417 in the same period of 2025.
The real estate sector insists that these fraudulent cases are isolated incidents. “Most people choose seasonal rentals because they feel more secure; they’re afraid of the inconvenience,” says Emiliano Bermúdez, deputy general manager of Donpiso. Like Homedes, he also doesn’t believe this regulation will significantly increase the number of long-term rental properties.
Among the new features of the law is the creation of a commission that will monitor contracts and regulate advertising platforms and portals. “Now it will be necessary to clearly prove that the rental is temporary, for example, with the tenant's registration certificate,” says Mercedes Blanco, CEO of Vecinos Felices (Happy Neighbors) and a member of Pimec on the Catalan Government's Housing Advisory Council.
The sector is also demanding clarification on which income tax (IRPF) reduction will be applied: 100% if the rent is frozen or 90% if it is lowered?
For now, the only rental that remains outside the price cap in Catalonia is vacation or recreational rentals. But even here, regulations have become stricter. “The reason for the rental will have to be demonstrated with evidence, such as the tenant's round-trip tickets,” Blanco adds. Listings on portals and real estate agencies must also adapt and display all this information, explains Ferran Font, director of studies at Pisos.com. It remains to be seen how the system will work and who will be responsible for ensuring the data is accurate.
Furthermore, seasonal rentals aren't the only headache for the sector. Pedro Sánchez's announcement of a 100% income tax credit for those who freeze their rent when renewing their contracts has opened another front. The Housing Law allows for a deduction of up to 90% of income tax if the price is lowered by 5% in high-demand areas. However, with the president's proposal, it seems more advantageous to freeze the price than to lower it. The sector is waiting for the government to clarify the issue.
