Temporary and room rentals in Sitges: what changes in 2026 and what does not

Does Barcelona’s reform apply in Sitges?

No. The change to the Metropolitan General Plan approved for Barcelona is a planning rule for that city: according to the press, it classifies habitual, temporary and second-home use and lets the council restrict uses by district, neighbourhood or building. It sets no prices or durations. It still has to be published and developed through municipal instruments.

Sitges has its own urban plan. In January 2026 its town council also approved a motion asking the Spanish Parliament to bring temporary and room contracts under the rent cap. So far we have not found any Sitges municipal rule on these contracts. The rules that do affect you are the Catalan and national ones below.

What is a temporary rental and which reasons count?

It is a housing contract for a use other than permanent residence, for example work, study or another temporary reason. Law 11/2025 (articles 66 bis and 66 ter of Law 18/2007) says that when the reason is professional, work, study or similar, the contract follows the housing rules on setting and updating rent. The landlord must record the purpose and document it, and that documentation is deposited with the security deposit in the corresponding registry. If no other use is shown, the contract is presumed to be permanent housing. Recreational, tourist or holiday uses are outside it.

Royal Decree-Law 29/2026 adds three rules to the Urban Leases Act: the reason must be real and provable; the term must be more than 31 days and, in general, no more than 12 months; and if it runs past 12 months without justification, or more than two consecutive contracts are signed between the same parties for the same home, it becomes an ordinary habitual-residence lease. The decree also leaves regional rules on temporary and room rentals in place.

Can I rent rooms separately?

Yes, but with a limit. In tensioned zones such as Sitges, the sum of the rents for all rooms cannot exceed the maximum rent the whole home would have as a single let (article 66 ter.3 of Law 18/2007, as amended by Law 11/2025). Renting by the room no longer gets around the rent cap.

Is there a rent cap in Sitges?

Yes. Sitges, Sant Pere de Ribes, Vilanova i la Geltrú and Castelldefels are in the first list of tensioned zones, effective 16 March 2024 (BOE-A-2024-5214). Royal Decree-Law 29/2026 adds that until 31 December 2027 rent cannot be increased if it already exceeds the reference-index maximum; otherwise what was agreed applies and, if nothing was agreed, a maximum of 2%. The details of the cap on new contracts are in our tourist licence guide.

Which taxes change?

Under the decree, from 1 December 2026 a 10% VAT applies to furnished lets with hotel-type services and to stays of up to 30 nights in a property that is not the landlord’s habitual residence. In addition, municipalities in tensioned areas may add a surcharge to the IBI (property tax) of homes used as tourist accommodation: up to 50%, 100% for owners of two or more homes and 150% for four or more. The surcharge is optional and requires the municipality to approve a tax ordinance. As of 7 November 2026 Sitges Town Council has not announced it will apply it; we will update this guide if it does.

What about tourist licences?

That is a separate matter. Tourist rental needs a planning licence and, in Sitges, processing of new licences is suspended. We explain it in the guide to tourist licences in Sitges.

What applies in Sitges at a glance

Four common owner situations

• You let to a worker or student for a few months. Document the reason with an employment contract or enrolment certificate, state the purpose in the contract and deposit the documentation with the security deposit. Rent follows the housing rules of the tensioned zone.
• You renew with the same tenant. With more than two consecutive contracts between the same parties on the same home, or more than 12 months without justification, the contract becomes an ordinary lease.
• You let by the room. The sum of the rents cannot exceed the maximum rent for the whole home; it is worth calculating it before pricing each room.
• You host short stays. From 1 December 2026, 10% VAT may apply to stays of up to 30 nights in a home that is not your habitual residence.

In any of these cases, reviewing the paperwork before signing avoids problems later. At Villas Mondragón we can review your case with you.

Checklist for owners

• Is the reason real? Work, study or another temporary reason you can prove with a document, such as an employment contract or enrolment.
• Term? More than 31 days and, in general, under 12 months. Beware of repeated renewals with the same tenant.
• Deposit and paperwork? State the purpose in the contract and deposit the documentation with the security deposit.
• Rent within the cap? In Sitges the tensioned-zone cap applies to temporary lets too.
• Rooms? The sum of the rents cannot exceed the maximum rent of the whole home.
• VAT and IBI? The 10% VAT applies from 1 December 2026 to stays of up to 30 nights; the IBI surcharge only affects homes used as tourist accommodation, and Sitges has not announced it.

This checklist is indicative. If you are weighing selling, switching to a long-term let or keeping the temporary let, compare the options against your own situation; we can help you do that.

Before renting, also consider the asbestos certificate: the Catalan Waste Agency confirms it is required for temporary and tourist rentals. We explain it in our asbestos certificate guide.

What could change?

Barcelona still has to publish and develop its change. Other municipalities could follow, but we have found no verifiable announcement in Sitges. Royal Decree-Law 29/2026 has been in force since 8 October 2026 and is pending ratification by Congress (vote expected 12 November). We will update this guide after the vote.