Every tenancy on MUVAWAY runs between one and ten months. That upper limit is not a marketing decision; it follows from tenancy law. Here is what sits behind it — and why it serves both sides.
The line is not a number
First, the honest framing: Spanish tenancy law names no figure at which a let automatically becomes a residential tenancy. What decides is the purpose, not the calendar. A four-month let with permanent intent is a residential tenancy; a nine-month let with a clear project end is a seasonal one.
But the longer a contract runs, the harder it is to argue the need was temporary. At around eleven or twelve months the assessment tips in practice. So we draw the line at ten — with clearance from the grey zone, not right beside it.
What would change under residential tenancy law
If a contract lands in residential tenancy law, the rules change fundamentally:
- Extension. The tenant can extend for years, regardless of what was agreed. Five years with private owners, seven with companies.
- Deposit. One month's rent instead of two.
- Notice. The owner only gets the property back under narrow conditions.
- Furnishing and running costs. Much that is freely agreed in a seasonal let is regulated there.
For an owner who wants to use the apartment themselves in summer, that is not a detail. It is the difference between a plan and a problem.
What the lower limit is for
At the bottom the line sits at one month. Below that begins the territory tourism law covers — nights, weeks, holiday stays. That requires an ETV licence, and we do not arrange those.
One month is therefore the shortest period in which someone is not on holiday but living here.
What it means in practice
For tenants: you can book one month or ten, and the same contract type applies either way. The deposit is two months' rent, the contract has a fixed end, and an extension is a new agreement — not something that happens by itself.
For owners: you know when the apartment is free again. That is the whole point of a seasonal let. Anyone wanting to let for more than ten months at a stretch is better served by a long-term tenancy, with everything that comes with it.
And if someone wants to stay longer?
It happens, and it can be solved. A new period needs a new reason and a new contract. What does not work is letting things run on quietly: that is exactly where the uncertainty both sides wanted to avoid comes from.
General information, not legal advice — for your specific situation, what counts is a case-by-case review.