It is the first question every owner asks: am I even allowed to let my apartment without a licence? The answer does not hang on the length of the stay alone, but on what the property is let for. Here is how the distinction works, as of 2026.
What an ETV licence actually is
ETV stands for Estancia Turística en Vivienda — the tourist letting of a residential property. In the Balearics it sits in tourism law, not in tenancy law. Anyone letting to tourists needs a registration plus what is known as a place from the island administration's quota.
That quota is the catch. New places have been largely frozen since 2022. In practice, anyone who wants an ETV today buys it together with a property — or does not get one. For many owners the tourist route is effectively closed, regardless of whether the apartment would qualify.
What the classification depends on
The most common assumption is: under 30 days it is tourist letting, above that it is not. It is not that simple. Several things count together:
- The tenant's purpose. Is someone living here temporarily because they work, study, are renovating or receiving treatment — or are they on holiday?
- The marketing. Is the property offered as accommodation for holidaymakers, with nights, check-in and tourist services?
- The contract. Is there a seasonal tenancy agreement with a fixed end and a documented reason, or is it lodging?
- The services. Cleaning during the stay, linen changes, a reception desk and the like point to tourist use.
An apartment let by the month to someone living here temporarily falls into a different category from one let by the week to holidaymakers. That is not a workaround; it is a different use.
Seasonal letting as its own route
The seasonal let — arrendamiento de temporada — sits in tenancy law, in Article 3.2 of the LAU. It is temporary living: furnished, by the month, with a genuine temporary reason recorded in the contract. Tourism law targets tourist accommodation; a seasonal let is something else.
What it is not: a label you stick on a holiday let. If holidaymakers in fact move in for a fortnight, the heading on the contract changes nothing. What counts is the actual circumstances.
What can go wrong
Letting to tourists without registration carries substantial fines in the Balearics — it is one of the most heavily sanctioned areas there is. And enforcement starts with the listing: portals, neighbourhood reports and inspections all look at how a property is advertised.
So honesty upfront pays. If your aim is holiday guests, there is no way around the ETV. If your aim is people who will live here for a few months, the seasonal let is the right frame — and for that you need no tourist quota.
The honest closing line
The distinction is a judgement on the individual case, not a formula. Location, municipality, community rules and the specific marketing can all shift the picture, and Balearic rules are tightened regularly.
At MUVAWAY we arrange seasonal lets of one to ten months only, without tourist services and with the purpose documented in the contract. What applies to your specific property still deserves a look from someone who examines it.
General information, not legal advice — for your specific property, what counts is a case-by-case review.