Staying a season in South Tenerife: what temporada rental really means.
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
Every autumn, the same quiet migration begins. People leave grey skies behind and come to South Tenerife not for a week, but for a season. Some are here to escape the winter. Some work remotely and would rather take their laptop somewhere the sun keeps them company. Some are between homes, or trying the island on for size before they commit.
They are not booking a holiday. They are renting a home for a few months. And there is a specific, well-established way to do that here, one that many owners and guests still misunderstand.
It is called temporada (seasonal rental, typically one to eleven months). Here is what it is, who it suits, and why it matters just as much to owners as to the people renting.
What temporada actually is
Temporada is a home rented for a defined stretch of time, longer than a holiday and shorter than a permanent move. In practice that usually means anywhere from one month to eleven.
It is a different thing from a holiday let, and not just in length. A holiday rental is sold by the night, marketed on tourist platforms, and treated as a tourist stay. A temporada rental is a home you live in for a season: your own kitchen, a washing machine, wifi that holds a video call, a desk if you work, and a price that makes sense across months rather than nights.
The people who rent this way are not looking for a view for a week. They are looking for somewhere that works to live in.
Who spends a season here
A few kinds of people, mostly:
Northern Europeans escaping winter, often from November through March.
Remote workers who can do their job anywhere with good wifi and better weather.
People between homes, mid-move, or waiting on a sale or a build.
Anyone testing the island before deciding whether to stay for good.
What they share is a want for the ordinary comforts of home, in a place where January still feels kind. Los Gigantes suits them well: quieter than the big resorts, a real village around a marina, and the Atlantic in front of it. You can browse our apartments in Los Gigantes to get a feel for what a season here looks like.
Thinking of spending a season here? Tell us your dates and what you need, and we will let you know what we have.
If your apartment cannot get a VV licence, you are not stuck
This is the part many owners have not been told plainly.
Under the new Canary Islands rules, new holiday-rental (VV) licences have been frozen while municipalities rework their planning, and existing licences now come with conditions and renewals. A good number of owners are finding that they simply cannot register their apartment for tourist use, or are no longer sure they can keep doing so.
That does not mean the apartment has to sit empty.
Temporada rental sits under a different law entirely. It is governed by Spain's urban tenancy law, the LAU, as a letting for use other than a permanent home. Because it is a residential letting and not a tourist activity, it does not require a tourist licence and does not involve registering the apartment as a holiday rental.
This is a fully legal framework. Renting your apartment for a mid to long stay this way is one hundred percent legal, with none of the fine risk that comes with unlicensed holiday letting. For an owner who cannot get a VV, that is often the difference between an empty apartment and a working one.
Be careful who promises you a shortcut
Here is where we have to be honest, because some agents are not.
You may hear another agent promise that you can quietly keep letting your apartment to holidaymakers by the week, without a VV licence, and simply call it temporada. That is not temporada. It is a disguised tourist rental, and it is exactly the kind of thing that draws inspections and fines.
We never do this. Real temporada means a genuine seasonal stay, a proper written contract, and none of the tourist channels or hotel-style services of a holiday let. Run that way it is one hundred percent legal, with no fine risk at all. Run as a cover for short tourist stays, it is neither, and that is a risk we will never put on your apartment.
Our promise is simple: we only ever run the fully legal model. That is the whole point of doing this properly.
How we handle temporada
We run temporada as what it legally is, not as a workaround.
That means a proper contract for a real season, listings on the right channels rather than the tourist platforms, and honesty about what your apartment is actually suited to. We will not promise you a VV licence, and we will not sell you a loophole. What we can do is tell you, plainly, whether temporada is a good fit for your apartment and what it would realistically mean for you. If you want a sense of the numbers, our guide on how much you can earn is a good place to start.
It is worth being clear that it is a real choice, not a consolation prize. Compared with a strong short-term season, temporada usually means steadier income, far less turnover, less cleaning and less wear, but a lower gross and a tenant with more rights. For some apartments and some owners that trade is exactly right. For others it is not. Because we run both models, we can help you weigh it honestly rather than sell you the only thing we offer.
For the legal side of holiday rentals more broadly, our practical guide to the VV licence is a good place to start.
Not sure what your apartment should be doing? We will look at your specific situation and tell you honestly whether temporada fits, with no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
What is temporada rental?
It is a home rented for a defined period, usually between one and eleven months, under Spain's urban tenancy law. It is longer than a holiday stay and shorter than a permanent move, and it is meant for living in rather than for a short holiday.
Does temporada need a VV or tourist licence?
No. Temporada is a residential letting under Spain's urban tenancy law, a fully legal framework that does not require a tourist licence or registration as a holiday rental. It is the model we run, and we run it strictly by the book, which is why it carries none of the fine risk of unlicensed holiday letting.
Is temporada a legal option if I cannot get a VV licence?
For many owners, yes. Temporada sits under different rules from the frozen VV regime, so an apartment that cannot be registered for tourist use can often still be let seasonally. Whether it works for your specific apartment is worth checking case by case.
How long can a temporada rental last?
Typically from one month up to around eleven. The exact length is agreed in the contract, and once agreed it is meant to be honoured on both sides.
Where are temporada apartments advertised?
On the right channels for longer stays and on our own website, deliberately not on Airbnb or the tourist platforms. Listing a seasonal home as a holiday let is one of the things that blurs the line the law cares about.
Can I still use my own apartment?
Yes. Temporada is a defined-period let, so you and your manager plan the season around your own use of the apartment.
A calmer way to earn from your apartment
For the right apartment and the right owner, temporada is one of the most sensible things a property in South Tenerife can do right now. It is steady, it is fully legal, and it quietly houses the growing number of people who want to spend a season somewhere the winter is kind.
If you are wondering whether it fits yours, we are happy to take a look and tell you honestly.
Bart & Steffi
Hermosa Rentals
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