How to price a holiday flat: seasons, minimum stays and prices that move

Short answer: the price of a holiday flat is not a number: it is a calendar. You start from a base price for a normal mid-season day and multiply or divide it according to the season (on the Costa del Sol, August is worth three times February), the day of the week, events and how far ahead the booking comes in. To that you add minimum stays that change with the time of year. A fixed price all year is the most expensive mistake a new owner makes.

What must the price include by law?

Decree 28/2016 (art. 8.1) requires the price to be offered per night and to include, in all cases, "the supply of water, electricity, heating, cooling, cleaning on the arrival of new users and the use of bed and bath linen and kitchenware". In other words: electricity or water cannot be charged separately, nor can sheets; cleaning can be itemised as a supplement on the platform, as long as it is advertised before booking. And you must provide a booking receipt (total price, advances and penalties) and a payment receipt.

How is the base price set?

By looking at what similar flats in your area charge on Booking and Airbnb for the same dates: same places, same distance to the beach, terrace or not. Not what their listing "says", but what they actually charge for a specific date. We measure real Costa del Sol prices every week by area and type, and adjust prices with that.

For reference, the average nightly rate charged in 2026 in a well-managed Costa del Sol flat was €85, with these months (by month of check-in): January €48, February €52, March €57, April €69, May €83, June €103, July €126, August €164, September €90, October €70, November €109, December €49.

What makes the price go up or down?

• Season: the calendar in Seasons on the Costa del Sol.
• Day of the week: Friday and Saturday fetch more outside high season.
• Events: Easter, the Málaga Fair, San Miguel in Torremolinos, long weekends, Christmas.
• Lead time: a gap three days away is filled by lowering the price; an August date four months away is not given away.
• Occupancy in the area: when the competition fills up, your price can rise without losing bookings.
• Length: weekly and monthly discounts in low season, which attract winter stays.

What are minimum stays and why do they matter?

The minimum number of nights you accept. In high season, 3-5 nights (prevents a two-night booking from breaking up a whole week); in low season, 2 nights, or 1 to fill gaps. Also, a 2-3 night minimum at weekends reduces parties: nobody organises one for a night if they have to pay for three.

Automatic dynamic pricing or by hand?

There are programs (PriceLabs, Beyond, Wheelhouse and the like) that move the price every day according to demand in the area. They work well if someone keeps an eye on them: they set absurd prices on odd dates and do not know your flat has the best terrace on the street. A manager with a portfolio usually combines the tool with their own market data and judgement. An owner with one flat can do it by hand with a season calendar and a weekly review.

The most common mistakes

1. Fixed price all year.
2. Copying the price from a listing instead of the real price for a date.
3. Lowering the August price out of fear when the flat is not yet full in May: it fills up in August anyway.
4. Not touching the price when there are gaps a few days away.
5. Forgetting minimum stays, and ending up with a calendar full of one-night holes.

How much does it change the result?

Between a flat with a fixed price and the same flat with seasonal pricing, the difference is between 15 % and 30 % of annual revenue, with the same occupancy. It is what makes a manager "pay for themselves" in many cases.