Beyond tradicional rental: holiday one, seasonal and touristic home dwelling

First part:  concepts disambiguation. What do we describe a vacation rental? How do we define seasonal rental? What is a tourist dwelling?

The three headline concepts make it possible to gain an economic return from the whole property space cession. First of all, it is necessary to distinguish between them because they are often confused:   

Vacation rentals and seasonal rentals are less than a year in duration.

a) Vacation rental: "implies making available to guests a fully equipped dwelling, focused on tourism. The maximum period for this type of accommodation is 31 days".

b) Seasonal rentals: can range from 32 days to 11 months. This longer duration usually involves moving to another city. By the way, are you looking for a rental for the next academic year? At Finques Feliu we are always at your disposal, do you want some quick tips to find accommodation? Check this link.

c) Housing for tourist use (from now on HUT): legal category that includes holiday and seasonal rentals.

Second part: Which administration is in charge of housing policies in Catalonia?

The direct answer is: the 'Generalitat de Catalunya'.

 The sequence of application of housing policy is as follows:

1.  Spanish Government sets the 'base laws' with minimum guidelines.

2. Generalitat develops the master lines of land use planning and housing policy.

3. Town Halls can decide housing policies -without contradicting the one established by the Generalitat-.

Do you want to know the specific articles that establish the frameworks for action in the Spanish Constitution and the Catalan Autonomous Law? Click here.

Third part: the housing for tourist use: requirements for the correct regularization, aspects to which to attend and responsibility towards the tenants and the other proprietors of the community

3.1 On which authority do I have to present the documents for my property to become a VUT in order to accomplish legal procedures? What requirements will I have to satisfy?

This question combines the second and third parts. We prioritize to group all the VUT information. The documentation must to be presented on the town hall of the city where you live -except in the case of the inscription to the registry of tourism of Catalonia managed by the Generalitat-. Home do not move, therefore, the related formalities have to be controlled by the nearest administration.

a) Main requirements for property registration are:

• To present the Certificate of habitability: the dwelling always has to satisfy all the requirements established by the regulations , such as having adequate heating and air conditioning systems, safe electrical installations, fire extinguishers, etc.
• To hire the civil liability insurance
• Attach payment proff the tourist tax.
• To carry out the inscription of our house in the Tourism Registry of Catalonia: In addition to obtaining the tourist license, you also have to register the house in the Tourism Registry of Catalonia. This registry will assign you a tourist identification number (NIT in Catalan acronym) which you have to include in any kind of advertising or promotion you do.

b) Other points you need to pay attention to

• Be aware of possible zoning limitations: Depending on the location of the property, there may be restrictions on vacation rentals. Therefore, it is important to check the local zoning plan to verify if your property is allowed to be tourist housing.
• Paying taxes: As the owner of a vacation rental property, you have to pay, depending on the number of nights that guests stay at the property, the tourist stay tax.

3.2. What does a VUT have to satisfy in order to give physical security and confidence to the tenant?

a) To have an occupancy valid certificate: Like any other property in Catalonia, it is necessary to have this document because it is the key that allows us to register the supplies and market our property. Please check Feliu service for its creation in this link.

b) To be furnished and to fulfill healthiness criteria: since it is used by people who come to make a temporary stay, the housing of tourist use, has to be furnished. A sane and clean enviroment is basic.

3.3 As a VUT owner, what are my obligations towards the tenants and other owners or neighbors of the owners' community?

a) Not to disappear: You must provide a contact phone number so that they can inform you of any possible incidents.

b) To give access to the tenants to a maintenance service of the building: at this point it is necessary to keep in mind that the two parts -owner and tenants- have to be careful.

c) To inform the general direction of the police about the extra lodging of people: to protect the citizenship it is necessary to control it.

d) To provide a responsible declaration that the destination of the housing to tourist use is not prohibited by the community statutes.

e) In the supposition that the housing management has been entrusted to an administrator, the document of communication in addition to all the previous one has to give:

• Administrator data, due to he/she is the managing property person.
• Responsible declaration assuring that the managing person has sufficient title of the proprietor for the management of the housing.

f) To collect the tax on stays in tourist dwelings (Catalan acronym IEET). This case means that the tourist in the dwelling for tourist use is obliged to pay this tax at the end of the stay. The owner or the managing entity in charge will have to submit the settlement to the Tax Agency of Catalonia. 

Source: Barcelona Town Hall and Generalitat de Catalunya

Dear landlord, with our text you have a state of the question about the forms of renting beyond the traditional renting. By the way, click on this link and rent with Fincas Feliu.