Housing for your first weeks in Barcelona: options and documents

Which accommodation to choose for your first weeks in Barcelona

The table has no amounts or rates: we did not find official price statistics for short-term housing, and listings change quickly.

Temporary rental: what to put in the contract

Catalan law 11/2025 added article 66 bis to Ley 18/2007. It distinguishes between renting a permanent home, meaning any rental that meets a housing need whatever its length, and renting for leisure, tourism and holidays [2]. If you are moving for work, study or medical treatment, or are waiting to be allocated a flat, the residential rental rules apply to the contract: on the deposit, guarantees, setting and indexing the rent, rent increases for improvements and general expenses. The purpose is written into the contract and backed by documents under article 66, and the proof is lodged with the register together with the deposit [2].

Before signing, it helps to know three consequences. Without proof of the purpose, the rental is treated as a permanent home rental. If the contract is extended and you have not proved the reason it is temporary and that you live permanently elsewhere, the permanent rental rules apply to it from the date of the first contract, including the minimum term and the extension procedure. If instead of an extension you are given a new contract for the same flat, the permanent rental rules apply unless the landlord proves that the reason for the temporary rental still exists [2].

For contracts signed from 1 January 2026, Incasòl asks for a document proving the purpose when the deposit is lodged. Housing contracts from 26 March 2026 must be accompanied by a SERPAVI report on the maximum rent [3][4]. We did not find a closed list of supporting documents in the sources: by implication these are an employment contract, proof of enrolment on a course or a medical referral, and the exact set is determined by article 66 of Ley 18/2007 and Incasòl’s requirements. What else to check in the contract: what to look at before signing; on the deposit: deposits in Catalonia.

Under the LAU, a “seasonal” rental is a rental for purposes other than housing (Article 3.2), and Catalan Law 11/2025 clarifies this rule for Catalonia [2][7]. However, temporary housing contracts signed on or after 08.10.2026 are subject to the new Article 9 bis LAU, while “por temporada” contracts signed earlier keep the old rules until the end of their term and end without renewal [9]. From 01.12.2026, letting furnished housing to a single tenant for no more than 30 nights is subject to IVA at 10% [9].

Tourist flats (HUT) and hotels: when they make sense

For the first few days, while you view flats, a hotel or an HUT will do. An HUT has clear features: the owner lets the whole dwelling, directly or through an intermediary, for payment, for up to 31 consecutive days; it cannot be let by the room. A flat can only be let this way with a municipal licence, and the number in the register of tourist establishments (NIRTC) must appear in every listing and in a visible place in the flat itself [1].

Before paying, find the NIRTC and check it against the register. If there is no number, or the owner of a flat advertised as an HUT offers a “rental” contract for several months, ask on what legal basis. A contract for several months in such a flat does not fit the definition of an HUT [1].

Padrón at a temporary address

In Barcelona, registering in the municipal register of residents (padrón, empadronamiento) is mandatory for everyone who lives in the city. It gives access to public healthcare and compulsory schooling for children, and you do not need lawful residence in the country to register [5][6]. It does not give you a residence permit or the right to work; more in the article empadronamiento in Barcelona.

What the city takes into account for a temporary address [5]:

• A rental contract for at least three months. If the term is shorter, the contract must have been expressly extended. An extended contract is accepted together with the current extension. An expired contract that remains in force without an express extension clause is accepted together with a recent rent receipt, a utility bill from the last three months or a bank transfer for the rent.
• If you have no permanent address in Barcelona, even if you spend most of the year here, you will need a residence report (ICR).
• If you have no document giving you the right to live at the address, you can still apply: the city will check that you really live there. A decision on such a check is made within three months of the application date.
• Collective address (hotel): you need permission from the establishment’s representative with the signature, stamp, name, address and tax number of the organisation.
• Living with another person: written permission from an adult resident with an original signature and a copy of their ID.

Non-EU nationals without long-term residence must confirm their registration every two years [5]. When you move, the registration is transferred to the new address. It is better to apply for the padrón once you have signed a contract for at least three months, rather than at your first temporary address. Do not buy a “registration” from intermediaries at an address where you do not live: a sham registration puts you at risk. On the registration certificate (volante), see the article volante de empadronamiento.

Which documents to prepare

• Passport and NIE, if you already have one; for the padrón the city accepts a passport or TIE [5].
• A rental contract stating the purpose, if the rental is temporary, and proof of that purpose [2].
• The deposit receipt and, if possible, the Incasòl control number or registration number [3].
• Cédula de habitabilidad and energy performance certificate: the landlord must have them, their details are entered in the deposit register, and you will need the cédula to connect water and electricity [4][8].
• Permission from the holder or resident, if you are staying with friends [5].
• For a hotel or HUT: booking confirmation and, for the padrón, permission from the establishment’s representative [5].

How to connect electricity and internet in the first weeks is covered in the article connecting electricity and internet in Barcelona; the overall moving plan: moving to Barcelona.

Common mistakes

• People sign a “seasonal contract” for several months when moving for work, without stating the purpose or attaching documents, and later questions come up about the price and extension [2].
• People rent an HUT for several months without checking the NIRTC and whether the owner may let it long term [1].
• People register in the padrón at an address where they do not live, or at a hotel without the establishment’s permission [5].
• People pay a deposit without a contract or receipt and do not ask for the Incasòl control number [3].
• People rent a room without finding out who is letting it and how many tenants live in the flat, even though the total of room rents is capped at the limit for the whole flat [2].
• People think registration gives them a residence permit, although it creates no immigration rights [5].

How we can help

The ReloVictory team in Barcelona helps you work out which type of temporary housing suits your documents and residence permit plans, and what the city and Incasòl will require. We go through the draft temporary contract, the purpose of the rental and the supporting documents, and explain how padrón registration ties in with your next steps. We do not discuss specific flats or platforms in this article. The legal side is handled by the team’s lawyer, the administrative side by a gestor. Book: consultation. Once temporary housing gives way to a long-term contract, these articles will help: how to rent a flat in Barcelona and rent or buy. Documents and appointments with the authorities: document service; the overall moving process: residence permit in Barcelona.

Frequently asked questions

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ReloVictory · Sources reviewed 02.10.2026 · Not a substitute for individual legal advice.