If you want to live in Mallorca for a few months, you will almost always sign the same type of contract: the seasonal rental contract, in Spanish arrendamiento de temporada. It is the legal home of the monthly rental, and it works differently from a standard residential lease. Here is how it really works, as of 2026.
The three contract worlds in Mallorca
| Holiday let | Seasonal rental | Long-term rental | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | under 30 days | typically 1 to 11 months | open-ended by design |
| Who it is for | tourists | people with a temporary housing need | people whose life is based here |
| Licence | ETV licence required | no licence | no licence |
| Right to extend | none | none, ends on the agreed date | yes, up to 5 years by law |
The seasonal rental sits in the middle: longer than a holiday, shorter than a life. That is exactly what MUVAWAY is built for, furnished homes from 1 to 10 months.
What defines a seasonal contract
The reason matters, not just the length. Legally, what counts is that you need the home temporarily: a work project, a semester abroad, a winter in the south, the transition after a move. Serious contracts state this reason in writing. That protects both sides, because without a documented reason a contract can be reclassified as a standard residential lease in a dispute, with full extension rights for the tenant.
The end date is fixed. The contract ends on the agreed date, no notice needed, no automatic renewal. If you want to stay longer, you negotiate again. For owners that is the big advantage over long-term letting; for tenants it is the price of flexibility.
The terms are freely negotiated. Rent, utilities, extension options: in a seasonal rental, what the contract says largely goes. All the more reason to make sure everything important is actually in it.
What belongs in a good contract
- Names and ID numbers of both parties, CIF for companies
- Address and description of the property, ideally with an inventory list
- The reason for the temporary stay, stated explicitly
- Fixed start and end dates
- Rent, payment method and what utilities are included
- Deposit: for seasonal rentals the legal standard is two months of rent
- A handover protocol with condition notes and meter readings
The classic mistakes
Mistake 1: a holiday let in seasonal clothing. Renting by the week to tourists and calling it seasonal requires, in reality, an ETV licence. The fines for skipping it are serious in the Balearics.
Mistake 2: no reason in the contract. If the temporary need is missing from the text, the owner can end up facing a tenant with long-term rights.
Mistake 3: keeping it verbal. Especially with furnished homes, the handover protocol decides at the end whether the deposit comes back in full.
How it works at MUVAWAY
Every home on the platform is meant for monthly renting, from 30 days to ten months. The contract is a clear, standard seasonal rental agreement, payment runs directly between tenant and owner, and the deposit is regulated cleanly in the contract. No hidden clauses, no untranslated legalese.
This article is general guidance and does not replace legal advice for your specific case.