If you have the good fortune to live in Spain long-term, you’ll likely find yourself looking for an apartment. I planned three different moves to apartments in the States before coming to Spain and I thought I had the search process nailed down.

But honestly, it wasn’t easy at first knowing where to look in a foreign country or navigating apartment viewings in a second language. Luckily, my partner and I weren’t in a rush to find an apartment, so the three months I spent looking was basically my crash course in how to find an apartment in Spain. I’ve written this blog to summarize what I’ve learned and hopefully help you in your search.

Where to look for apartments

I used both Idealista and pisos.com. I recommend setting alerts so you receive an email as soon as a listing meeting your requirements is posted. I stayed away from Facebook listings for apartments as they just didn’t seem reliable, but I do know people who found individual rooms for rent successfully on Facebook.

Setting up a visit

When I found an apartment I liked, I replied directly on Idealista and pisos.com. Usually a phone number is also listed and I’d follow up right after with a phone call.

If a real estate agency (inmobiliaria) created the listing, before they agree to show you the apartment they’ll normally ask you a few questions to weed out candidates right away. I talked to at least a dozen inmobiliarias and they almost always asked me the same questions: How many people is this apartment for? Are they all employed? Do you have pets?

Factors to consider when looking for an apartment in Spain

Appliances

In my experience, not all apartments have ovens. While every apartment will have a stovetop, I often had to pass up an otherwise great apartment because I really wanted an oven. You also will probably never find a dryer in a Spanish apartment, but it will likely have a washer and it will be in the kitchen! Not every apartment in Spain has a dishwasher, air conditioning or heat. However, the same can be said of apartments in the U.S.

Furnished or unfurnished

Unlike the U.S., when renting apartments in Spain, it’s common that they come furnished. This can be both a blessing and a curse in my opinion. On the positive side, it makes moving a lot easier. On the negative side, I decided to pass on several apartments because the furniture looked tired or just wasn’t my style. Unfurnished apartments for rent are out there, but I’d say not as readily available as the furnished apartments.

Gas or electric

Some apartments, especially if they’re older, will use gas to heat water. If this is the case, you’ll need to purchase small gas tanks (bombonas) to heat your water for showering, etc. I was told one bombona for an apartment with two people could last about two months.

Agency vs. individual

Coming from a big city like Washington, DC, my approach to finding apartments was finding a large apartment building in the neighborhood I liked, going to the building, and finding out what rooms were available. In Málaga, renting apartments is all through the owner or an intermediary, such as a real estate agency (inmobiliaria). The most common experience is the owner hires the inmobiliaria and they take care of listing the apartment on websites, screening potential renters, and coordinating visits. If you end up signing the lease for the apartment, the inmobiliaria will normally charge you a fee (equivalent to one month’s rent) for their services. So you could be looking at paying x3 your monthly rent upon move in (first month’s rent, fianza, and honorarias). If you work directly with the owner of the apartment from the beginning, you can avoid that extra fee. Of course this option is always better, but can be harder to come by.

Square footage

Looking at lots of apartments can take up a lot of time and be frustrating when the pictures make the apartment look a lot nicer than it actually is… Take note of the square footage and if you feel like you could live there comfortably. I visited an apartment that was 60m2 and immediately felt like it was too small. Knowing this helped me ignore similar sized apartments when I saw them posted online.

Budget

Rent will vary depending on the city in Spain you’re living in. The best way to get a feel for the prices where you live and what you can afford is to start browsing on sites like Idealista and pisos.com. Again, you can set alerts to help you find apartments in your budget.

Helpful words/phrases for apartment hunting

Piso (n) – flat, apartment
Alquilar (v) – to rent
Alquiler (n) – rent
Inquilino (n) – renter
Propietario (n) – landlord
Arrendador (n) – landlord
Piso amueblado (adj) – furnished apartment
Piso sin muebles – unfurnished apartment
Bombona (n) – a gas tank used in some apartments

Estoy interesado/a en este piso. Me gustaría hacer una visita. – I’m interested in this apartment. I’d like to visit.

El piso sería para X personas. – This apartment would be for X people.

No tengo mascotas. – I don’t have pets.

Tengo trabajo. Soy [insert job title]. – I have a job. I’m a X.

¿Cuándo es el piso disponible? – When is the apartment available?

¿Este piso es eléctrico o tiene gas? – Does this apartment use electricity or gas?

Documents you need to rent an apartment

• DNI or NIE
• 2 or 3 most recent paychecks (nóminas)
• Employment contract
• If you’re an autónomo you could provide: 4 more recent revenue reports (trimestrales), informe de vida laboral, and declaración de la renta

Yes! The landlord has offered you the apartment. Here’s what comes next.

• Signing the lease
• Making your first payment to the landlord, which likely includes:
• First month’s rent (or pro-rated rent)
• Fianza (equivalent to one month’s rent). The owner gives this money to the autonomous government where you live (in my case, Junta de Andalucía) and they hold it until the renter ends their contract. As long as the renter fulfills their obligations in the contract, the money is returned to them.
• Depending on your situation: Paying the honorarias to the inmobiliaria (equivalent to one month’s rent)

Have you rented an apartment in Spain before? What was your experience? Tell me in the comments below.