Rental contract duration and renewal in Spain: what the LAU actually says

"I’ll sign you up for a six-month contract" is a phrase you hear far more often than the law actually allows. The duration of a residential rental contract in Spain isn’t freely negotiable: the LAU sets minimums that protect the tenant regardless of what was signed.

Minimum term: 5 years (7 if the landlord is a company)

Article 9 of the LAU establishes that, if the parties agree to a term shorter than five years (or seven years when the landlord is a legal entity), the contract is automatically extended year by year until it reaches that minimum term — unless the tenant states, at least 30 days in advance, that they don’t want to renew.

In other words: the landlord can’t refuse the renewal simply because "that’s what the contract says." The only way for the contract to end before those minimums is if the tenant themselves decides not to continue.

What if the contract says "no possibility of renewal"?

That clause has no effect against the tenant. Article 6 of the LAU voids any terms that put the tenant at a disadvantage compared to the rights the law grants them, and the right to mandatory renewal is one of those rights.

Tacit renewal after the minimum term

Once the agreed term has passed (and, where applicable, the mandatory renewal of up to 5 or 7 years has been exhausted), if neither party gives notice of non-renewal within the required timeframe, the contract is tacitly extended for additional one-year periods (up to three more years, under Art. 10 LAU), unless the tenant states otherwise.

When can the landlord choose not to renew?

Outside the legal cases for recovering the property for the landlord’s own use or that of close family members (which must meet specific requirements and notice periods, Art. 9.3 LAU), the landlord has no general way to simply "not renew" during the mandatory renewal period.

What to do if your contract sets a short term

If you’ve signed a three- or six-month contract "with no renewal," that doesn’t mean you have to move out when that period ends. You have the right to demand renewal up to the legal minimums, unless you yourself decide not to continue. Put your intention to continue in writing if you notice the landlord trying to end the contract before those minimum terms are up.