Holiday let, seasonal or long-term rental in Jerez and Cádiz: which suits you in 2026

Updated on 13 October 2026. The two royal decree-laws explained here were published in Spain’s official gazette (BOE) on 7 October and must be validated by Congress within 30 days of being enacted. If they aren’t, they stop applying. The vote is scheduled for 16 October. We’ll update this article after the vote. This is general information, not legal advice: check your case with a gestor or a lawyer.

You own a flat in El Puerto. Two years ago you thought about turning it into a holiday let, but the council no longer grants new licences. You’d been renting it to students on “seasonal” contracts from September to June, and last week the rules changed. And a standard long-term rental now ties you in for longer than before.

So what do you do with the flat? Here’s what changed in October 2026, what each of the three options allows in Jerez, El Puerto and Cádiz, and some questions to help you decide with a clear head.

What changed in October 2026 (and what could change in November)

On 7 October 2026 the BOE published two rules that amend the Spanish Urban Leases Act (LAU):

→ Royal Decree-Law 29/2026, in force since 8 October. It redefines the seasonal rental as a temporary housing rental, with a mandatory reason and time limits, and caps a holiday let stay at 31 days.

→ Royal Decree-Law 28/2026, in force from 15 November 2026. It changes what happens when a standard residential tenancy comes to an end.

They apply from the day they come into force, but Congress must validate them within 30 days; with parliament dissolved and a general election on 29 November, its standing committee decides. Don’t sign anything important without checking where things stand.

Andalusia has also not declared any “stressed residential market” areas, so the rent caps that apply in those areas don’t apply here for now.

The three options at a glance

	Holiday let	Seasonal (temporary)	Long-term (residential)
Length	Up to 31 days per stay	Over 31 days and, as a rule, up to 12 months	5 years (7 if the landlord is a company) plus renewals
What you need	A registered property and a council that allows it	A real reason for the tenant’s stay, written in the contract	A residential tenancy contract
Work	A lot: bookings, guests, cleans	Medium: a new tenant every few months	Little, once signed
Deposit	Not applicable	One month’s rent	One month’s rent
Main risk	Local rules and the low season	Being treated as a residential tenancy	Tying up the property for many years

None is better by definition: it depends on your property and how much time you want to spend on it.

Holiday let: only if your property is already registered

It’s the option with the highest possible income per night and the most work. And around the Bay, it’s now also the most restricted: in Jerez new ones are only allowed on the ground floor in buildings with several homes, and in El Puerto and Cádiz new ones are suspended. We explain it, with sources, on our pages for Jerez, El Puerto and Cádiz.

In practice, if your property is already registered, you have something that’s hard to get today. If it isn’t, this option probably isn’t for you in the short term.

It means messages at any hour, a clean at every changeover and registering every guest. We cover it in managing your Airbnb yourself or with a company.

Seasonal rental after the decree

It was the safe harbour for many owners: ten- or eleven-month contracts, without the time limits of a residential tenancy. Royal Decree-Law 29/2026 changes that:

1. There must be a real reason why the tenant is away from their usual home: studies, a work posting, medical treatment, building work at their home.
2. The reason is written into the contract, and if in doubt, the landlord has to prove it.
3. Over 31 days and, as a general rule, no more than 12 months. It can be extended by agreement while the reason continues, without exceeding that maximum except in specific cases.
4. If there’s no reason, or it runs past 12 months without justification, or more than two consecutive contracts are signed with the same tenant, it’s treated as a residential tenancy from the first contract, with all its time limits.
5. The deposit is one month’s rent, and rent increases between successive temporary contracts are capped.

Who does it suit? There are University of Cádiz campuses in Jerez, Puerto Real and Cádiz, with students from elsewhere during the academic year. Also professionals posted here for a few months. If your tenant has a reason like that and you can document it, a temporary rental is still a reasonable option. If not, it no longer is.

Long-term rental: stable, but longer than before

It’s the option with the least work once signed: one tenant, monthly rent, few phone calls.

What changes under Royal Decree-Law 28/2026, from 15 November 2026:

• Once five years have passed (seven if the landlord is a company), if nobody gives notice, the contract renews for five-year periods, not year by year as before.
• A landlord who doesn’t want to renew must give six months’ notice.
• And, with some exceptions, must compensate the tenant, starting from twelve months’ rent calculated with the official state rental reference price system.
• The exceptions include a landlord who is an individual needing the home for themselves or close family, a tenant who doesn’t live there or has another home in the same town, or both sides signing a new contract.
• It also applies to existing contracts, at renewal dates after 15 November.

If you want stable income and don’t plan to use the flat for years, it’s still a good option. If you want it back soon, think twice.

What about a holiday let in summer and a seasonal let in winter?

Tourists in summer, students for the rest of the academic year. It can work, with conditions:

• The property must be registered as a holiday let for the summer part.
• The winter contract needs a real temporary reason and must last between 31 days and 12 months.
• The dates can’t overlap, and the property must meet the requirements of both uses.

Go through it with your gestor before setting it up.

Seven questions to help you decide

1. Is my property already registered as a holiday let?
2. Do my council and my building allow tourist use?
3. Do I want the flat back in the next few years, for myself or my family?
4. How much time can I spend on it each month?
5. Is there a temporary tenant nearby with a real reason (students, posted workers)?
6. Do I prefer steady income, or higher but irregular income?
7. Have I talked it through with my gestor, including the tax side?

If the answer to the first is “no”, the real decision is between seasonal and long-term. If it’s “yes”, it’s worth running the numbers on all three.

What to do next

If your property is already a holiday let and you want it to perform without watching over it, at Hola Limpio we provide holiday rental management in Jerez, El Puerto and Cádiz: listing, bookings, guests and cleaning, with a summary every month.

If you choose a long-term or seasonal rental, you don’t need a management company, but you do need the flat spotless between one tenant and the next: we explain how in our end-of-tenancy cleaning guide, and we also do deep cleans before you hand over the keys.

Not sure what suits you? Message us on WhatsApp on +34 604 82 90 44 or ask for a free consultation. We’ll tell you honestly whether we think a holiday let suits your property, and if not, we’ll say so too.