Hell-Bent on Finding Decent Rent

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(Updated May 2019 to reflect changes to rental laws.)

Barcelona is one of the most desirable cities in Europe, let alone in the world, yet finding an apartment to rent here can be a complicated affair, with significant competition and plenty of red tape.

According to the 2018 Global Property Guide, average rent in Barcelona is around €900-€1,000 per month for a 50-square-meter apartment, though this varies from area to area. Apartment rentals saw double digit increases in the first half of 2017, however in 2018 increases slowed down.

Rental Contracts

You can expect to sign a rental contract for a fixed period. Short term rentals are for less then one year and are governed by a different set of laws than long term rentals which are for a year or more. Unless terminated by the tenant, a one year contract will automatically renew for a new term every year, for a total of five years if the owner is a private individual and seven years if the owner is a legal entity. If, after the initial five (or seven) years neither party notifies the other of a desire not to continue, the lease will automatically be extended. This "silent renewal" (prórroga tácita) adds another three years to the lease.

Before you move in, you will have to pay a one or two-month deposit (finaza): the first month’s rent and an agency fee (if one is used), which is 10% of one year's rent. You get your deposit back if you stay a minimum of six months and give notice as stipulated in the contract. (It’s also important to know that current laws make it difficult to evict a tenant, even if the property is being sold or foreclosed.)

While negotiating rent is not unheard of, you should also be aware of the whole package before you begin to negotiate, as the landlord or their agent may simply add the discount they’ve given you in one area to another. For example, utilities are rarely included in the rental cost and can be around €100 per month for a two-bedroom apartment, but this varies depending on the type of heating in the building. In most cases tenants also have to pay the gastos de comunidad (community fee) to cover garbage removal cleaning and maintenance of communal areas. Make sure to ask if the rental fee includes the community fee or if you have to pay it in addition to the rent. Also, ask the landlord or agent to give you a summary of the average costs of the utilities.

All long-term leases must also come with an energy efficiency certificate, which the landlord or their agent should provide. Find out if the utilities are already turned on and only a name change for the contract is needed. If they are turned off, the process can take a great deal of time and is far more complex. It is helpful to have a Catalan or Spanish speaker help you deal with the utility companies.

Most furnished apartments are short-term leases are aimed at vacation travelers, yet there are no official standards for what constitutes a furnished or unfurnished property, so it’s essential to confirm the details in writing with your real estate agent or landlord. Unfurnished can mean no appliances like refrigerator or stove.

In Spain, a landlord who is subletting a property as a holiday rental (three months or less) or short-term lease (12 months or less) must have a license, but no license is required for long term leases (12 months or more), leading to more quality variability in the long-term leasing market.

To get a contract, you will be asked to provide:

• NIE, Passport or ID
• Evidence of employment (including a letter from the employer) or other proof of ability to pay the rent
• Tax identification number (if you are working)
• Personal references
• Financial resources or a person who can sign the lease as primary if you can not
• Spanish bank for direct monthly electronic withdrawal of rent

In Spain, a tenancy contract (contracte d'arrendament in Catalan, contrato de arrendamiento in Spanish) is valid, whether verbal or written. Sharing the apartment and subleasing to another tenant (on a short- or long-term basis) are strictly prohibited unless it has been stipulated clearly in the contract, in which case be careful to know your fiscal and other responsibilities as a landlord to a sub-leaser.

To break a contract, the renter must give at least two months notice. The tenant can terminate the rental contract:

• after six months, respecting the two months' notice, regardless of the duration of the contract.
• if a clause has been inserted in contract stating the tenant can terminate the contract at any moment, even before six months are up.
• and it can also be stipulated in the contract that the tenant has to compensate the landlord if the tenant leaves within the first six months. According to the law, this compensation should equal one month’s rent for every year the rental contract would have continued.

Community fees and property tax, which is commonly referred to as “IBI” (Impost sobre béns immobles in Catalan; impuesto de bienes inmeubles in Spanish) is charged by the city council (ajuntament in Catalan; ayuntamiento in Spanish) and is to be paid by the landlord. However, Spanish law offers the possibility for this to be agreed upon differently in the contract, so look out for this language.

Also, all agencies and landlords are now required to pay the Patrimonial Transmissions Tax, also known as “ITP” (Impost sobre transmissions patrimonials in Catalan; Impuesto sobre transmisiones patrimoniales in Spanish) for tenants. It is easy to calculate: It is 0.5% of the accumulated rent during the contract period.

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Finding a Place to Call Home

Rentals in the center of Barcelona primarily take the form of apartments. Slightly farther out, the apartments give way to multiplexes and single-family homes. Since Barcelona has a comprehensive bus and metro network, living away from the center can be convenient and save you traffic-filled car commutes.

As in many countries, the most common way to find a house or apartment to rent in Spain is through a real estate agent (immobiliàries in Catalan, inmobiliarias in Spanish), online property portals, newspaper advertisements, walking around to see signs for rent in windows (lloguer in Catalan, alquiler in Spanish) or word of mouth. Also note that looking for an apartment in August may be challenging due to the fact so many locals are vacationing throughout the month.

Agents who work for the landlord will simply show the flat and process applications. Search agents who you hire can help you find a property quickly and easily. You will typically end up dealing with a landlord agent when arranging to see a particular apartment through any of the most common online rental sites, which include:  

• Badi.com
• Booking.com
• Servihabitat
• Comprarcasa
• Idealista
• tucasa.com (Spanish only)
• ventadepisos (Spanish only)
• fotocasa
• Sh Barcelona
• Habitaclia

Expect to apply to a real estate agent for a property and to put down the equivalent of one month’s rent upfront when you do. (This is usually rolled in as your deposit when the contract and moving in are complete.)

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Avoid the Scams

The internet has made access to apartment information easier, in particular with the numerous notices for apartments and houses. However, it is important to verify the existence of an apartment as well as the landlord. Be careful with ghost locations, which appear and disappear within a short time.

Remember that Barcelona is expensive and bargains rarely exist. If a deal is too good to be true, it probably is. It’s always best to use a trusted website where you know the agents are legitimate, so make sure to ask for verification of credentials.

If you are arranging a lease before your arrival, or communicating directly with a landlord be extremely cautious. (This applies particularly to free online ads, such as those on Craigslist.) Some individuals pose as agents when in fact they are not. They could be a tenant that is leaving, or some other scammer who might have no connection with the landlord.

Under no circumstance execute an online transaction with someone you don’t know. That’s the main way scammers will try to trick you. They may say that they need a deposit upfront, creating a sense of urgency. There’s no reason for this process to be hurried. Always deal with people in person, or through a trusted company.

It’s recommended that you always see the apartment before reserving. If you are not in Barcelona, have a trusted third party visit on your behalf. If this is impossible, request a video and floor plan of the apartment and a floor plan so you can visualize the layout of the rooms. You can request that the landlord or agency organize a virtual visit through a video call via Skype, Whatsapp or another app. Make sure everything works properly in the apartment — water, oven, refrigerator, hot water, electrical appliances (“electrodomesticos” ) — and take the time to test appliances, outlets, lighting, shutters, blinds, window locks, intercoms. Also check for humidity stains! Preparing a checklist in advance helps avoid misunderstanding or forgetting an important item so that you’re not expected to repair or resolve any issues after signing the rental agreement.

Be patient, be informed about the agency you are dealing with. Don’t hesitate to go directly to their facilities, read the contract, ask for a translation in your native language if necessary, and follow the law.