During the Working Women Week, we held a webinar with ‘Her Roomies’ and ‘WeRelocateBCN’ which focused on the various rental opportunities and the renting process in Barcelona. Please find a summary of our webinar below.
This article ´Renting in Barcelona´ is written by Her Roomies.
Renting in Barcelona - What you need to know
Entire apartments
In 2021, the average rental price for an entire apartment in Barcelona is €996 (depending on the area and the size of the apartment). Rents are monitored and regulated by the Municipality of Barcelona to stop excessive rent increases.
The standard security deposit fee for renting in Barcelona is 1 month rent, and the rental deposit can be up to 2 months depending on the landlord. In Barcelona, the security deposit must be lodged with ‘Incasol’ which acts as an arbitrator that serves to protect tenants from scams. Make sure you receive an Incasol receipt from your landlord after paying your deposit.
In order to rent accommodation in Spain, you will need to make sure you have a NIE/TIE.
Long term rental contracts
The contracts for Barcelona rentals should always be regulated by the LAU (ley de arrendamiento urbano) law.
There are a couple of different length contracts that you can expect to see when you’re renting long term. A 5 year minimum contract is what you can expect from a private landlord and a 7 year minimum contract is what you can expect from a corporate landlord. With a long term contract, tenants must give at least 1 month notice if they want to move.
If the tenant signs a 5 year contract and leaves before the end of the 5 year period, they must pay 1 month’s rent for every remaining year of the unfulfilled lease (or a proportion thereof).
After the first year of your contract, the landlord is entitled to give only a 2 month notice period if they require you to vacate the property for their own personal use.
Rooms in shared apartments
A ‘Roommate’ contract is regulated by the Civil Code (Codigo Civil).
There is currently no standard or recommended contract for this type of rental and the contract will be between the landlord and the roommate, so it’s wise to ask for a ‘nota simple’ which will show the correct name of the owner and the property address for you to address your payments to and move in safely.
There is no minimum or maximum rental period for this type of contract and the average rental price in 2021 (depending on the area and how many people you are sharing with) is around 284 euros per month.
The security deposit is usually given to the landlord, but unfortunately there is a high % of scenarios where the landlord will not return the deposit at the end of your rental period as they know that you probably aren’t familiar with the legal system or you can’t afford the time and money to take them to court to try and get this back.
Co-living spaces
Co-living is a modern form of communal living in which residents get a private bedroom in a furnished home with shared common areas. Coliving is popular in major cities as a means of affordable living for students, workers, digital nomads, or individuals relocating.
This is a fairly new concept in Barcelona but is growing increasingly popular. Co-living contracts are similar to the roommate contracts (taken care of by the Codigo Civil) and are generally not regulated.
The tenancy period is very flexible in co-living spaces and can be for just 1 month and up to 12 months. This is a great option if you’re new to the city and want to stay somewhere short term before choosing the area that best suits you and committing to something longer term.
Please be aware that depending on the ‘use class’ of the property, some rents may be subject to IVA at 10%.
Rent typically includes all bills and utilities but it’s always good to double check.
Avoiding scams
Renting in Barcelona, as in any city, comes with it’s own risks. Just by searching for “apartments for rent in Barcelona”, you’ll come across illegitimate apartment adverts without even knowing it. The advert will probably seem normal, with photos of the interior and exterior, but the scammer will have simply taken those from another advert. All rental contracts in Barcelona are regulated by the LAU (Ley de arrendamiento urbana) law, so be sure to make sure you’re renting from a regulated landlord and that you have your contracts/paperwork in place to protect yourself from any scams.
Top tips for renting in Barcelona
- Make sure you’re aware of what responsibilities the landlord has to repair and replace any broken item in your apartment before you sign your contract.
- Make sure that all issues relating to the building fabric (walls, floors, ceiling etc.) and supply of utilities is the landlords responsibility.
- If possible, try to check previous tenant utility bills to make sure you’re aware of the typical monthly costs and this way your landlord can’t scam you out of extra money.
- If you’re living in an apartment that has more than one shower, it’s good to double check that all showers have access to hot water simultaneously without a drop in water pressure or temperature.
- Make sure that the windows are double glazed so that you don’t hear the noise from the busy Barcelona streets & you can also save money on your heating bill during the winter.
- Make sure your door has a reinforced door lock.
- If you’re renting a room, be sure to check if your contract is just for the use of the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen or if this includes the use of the living room/common areas too.
- If you’re renting a room, check how the bills are calculated and shared between roommates before you sign your contract (make sure everything is equal and fair).
- ALWAYS make sure that you’ve taken photos/videos of the condition of the apartment before moving in and if possible get both yourself and your landlord to sign an inventory record. This will ensure that you get your deposit back at the end of your rental period.
About Her Roomies
Her Roomies is the first female-focused rental platform in BCN, helping women to find the perfect accommodation and solve all of her rental needs. Her Roomies has also created ‘HERhub’ which lets you know what’s happening in your neighbourhood, gives you the opportunity to meet other roomies, find amazing deals in your area etc.
Kya organ
12 April 2023 at 16:27Hi
Look for an agent who can help find a 4 bedroom apt
Form
Sept to April. Can anyone help me?
lauren
9 May 2024 at 22:46HI – I am moving to Barcelona in Sept/ Oct. I'm curious what are the typical rental terms for an apartment – a 1-year lease? Do I need security deposit and first and last month's rent upfront? (as it is in the US). Or, does it depend, landlord to landlord? Thanks in advance!
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