Renting by the month: how it works
Not one night, not ten years. A month or more, with a name, a reason and a contract. This is mid-term rental — and it's the only thing we do at Home Rentals.
Mid-term rental, versus the alternatives
Nine criteria, side by side. No inflated figures: what actually changes depending on how you rent out your flat.
| What matters most |
Long-term | Tourist | Mid-termWHAT WE DO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stays | Years. | Days or weeks. | One to eleven months, with a start and end date in the contract. |
| Licensing | No licence. | Tourist licence and mandatory registration, increasingly restricted; many residents' associations limit them. | No tourist licence: a seasonal contract under the LAU. |
| End of contract | Mandatory extensions by law: getting the flat back can take years. | The calendar is rebuilt with every stay. | Ends on the agreed date, with no forced extension. |
| Using the flat | Tied up for as long as the contract lasts. | Always available, but with no stable income. | Every year you decide how to proceed, and you can block periods for your own use. |
| Upkeep | It can go years without anyone checking it. | Heavy wear: constant turnover. | Inventory check at every changeover: it's checked several times a year. |
| Tenant profile | Residents; greater exposure to non-payment. | Passing tourists. | Professional profile: companies, production companies, study centres; under contract. |
| Income | Fixed rent, the lowest of the three. | High peaks but seasonal, with more expenses and management. | Higher rent than long-term, stable for months at a time. |
| Taxation | Personal income tax, with habitual-residence reductions where they apply. | Depending on the services provided, may be taxed as a business activity. | Personal income tax at the applicable rate, with no VAT and no need to register as self-employed. |
| The owner | Manages alone: payments, issues and claims for years on end. | Ongoing management or platform commissions. | No management at all: we handle everything and the fee is paid by the tenant. |
Mid-term rental brings together the best of the other two models: higher rent than long-term rental, with stays of months at a time, and more control and less wear than tourist rental, with no tourist licence. The flat stays lived-in, checked at every changeover, and you decide every year. And all of it at no cost to you: the agency's fee is paid by the tenant.
What mid-term rental actually is
Mid-term rental — or temporary rental — is the letting of a fully furnished, move-in-ready flat, for periods of one to eleven months, to people with a real, provable reason to be here for a while: a job, a master's degree, building works at home, a relocation.
It's set out in a written seasonal contract (Article 3 of the LAU), with a start and end date, a deposit and clear terms. It isn't a hotel in disguise, or a habitual-residence lease dressed up as something else: it's its own legal category, built precisely for this.
And it's the sweet spot between two extremes: tourist rental — chased by the authorities, with no new licences granted in San Sebastián since 2023, and constant turnover and wear — and long-term rental, with the lowest rent in the market, mandatory extensions running into years, and price caps in stressed-market areas.
Between those two worlds, mid-term rental offers the best of both: premium, stable rent, a flat that's looked after because it's lived in, and the freedom to get it back on the agreed date.
Why we chose this path
We could have gone into tourist rental, like so many others. More noise, more turnover, more headlines. We chose something else.
We choose people who come here to live, not to spend the weekend. The engineer relocated for six months, the doctor on hospital rotation, the master's student, the family waiting on their move. People with a name, a reason, and keys they hand back on the agreed date.
We choose flats that are respected because they're lived in. Beds that don't change owners every other night. Neighbours who know who lives next door. Quiet buildings.
And we choose a model we can be proud of from the outside too: mid-term rental doesn't compete with local residents for housing, or add to neighbourhood saturation — it fills flats with people who work, study and spend here for a while.
For the owner, that translates into something very concrete: better returns than long-term rental, less wear than tourist rental, zero licensing headaches, and the peace of mind of knowing your flat comes back to you when the agreed term ends.
That's why this is the only thing we do. And why we do it well.
Common questions about mid-term rental
What's the shortest and longest stay?
One month at a minimum, twelve at the most, on a seasonal contract: two months, a quarter, six months, or the full academic year.
What's included in the monthly price?
A fully furnished and equipped flat, WiFi, and an initial set of bed and bath linen. Utilities and other services depend on the flat and the length of stay: we lay it all out clearly in the proposal.
Can I see the flat before booking?
Every listing has real photos of the flat, and we'll answer any question over WhatsApp whenever suits you. So you can decide in a day, wherever you are.
Do you accept pets?
No. No animals are allowed in any of our apartments, without exception.
How do I book?
Tell us your dates, number of people and area on the booking page or via WhatsApp, we'll offer you concrete options with a fixed price, and the flat is secured once the contract is signed and the deposit paid.
How is this different from a tourist flat?
You actually live there: a seasonal contract in your name, a fixed monthly price, and a flat meant for weeks or months, not nights. No reception desk, no nightly rates.
How much does it cost to rent a flat by the month?
Between €1,200 and €2,500 a month depending on the flat, size and area; in July and August most switch to the summer rate. Every flat has its price published on its listing, no surprises.
Can I rent for October to May only?
Yes — it's one of our specialities. Four flats run on exactly that calendar, available from 1 October to 1 May: Plaza Bilbao, Victoria Eugenia, Monte Ulia and Kursaal. The rest accept any stretch from 1 to 11 months.
Can I move in mid-month?
Yes: we agree the move-in date with you, and if you move in partway through the month, the first month is charged for the actual days. No odd rounding.
Have a flat? Let's talk
We'll tell you, with no commitment, what your flat could earn on mid-term rental and how we'd manage it from start to finish.