How to Rent an Apartment in Spain: Useful Phrases and Tips

Housing types in Spain

Before you start apartment-hunting, it helps to understand the different types of housing. Listings use several different words, and each one means something specific:

Spanish	Translation	What it is
piso	apartment / flat	A standard apartment in a multi-storey building. The most common option.
apartamento	apartment	A smaller apartment, often in resort areas.
estudio	studio	A one-room apartment with no separate bedroom.
ático	penthouse / attic apartment	An apartment on the top floor, often with a terrace.
chalet / casa	house	A detached house with its own plot, usually outside the city.
dúplex	two-storey apartment	An apartment spread over two floors within a building.
habitación	room	Renting a room in a shared flat — popular with students.
bajo	street-level apartment	Often with access to a small courtyard (patio).

Tip: If you are a student or staying for just a few months, renting a room (habitación en piso compartido) is the most budget-friendly option. In Valencia, for example, a room typically costs somewhere in the range of €250–400 per month — treat that as a rough guide rather than a fixed rate. If you would rather have your housing arranged before you arrive, take a look at the accommodation options offered by the school.

Key rental vocabulary

To read listings and talk to a landlord, learn these words:

People and paperwork

Word	Translation	Example
el propietario / el casero	owner / landlord	El propietario vive en otra ciudad.
el inquilino	tenant	Soy el nuevo inquilino del tercero.
el contrato de alquiler	rental contract	¿Puedo ver el contrato antes de firmar?
la inmobiliaria	real estate agency	Lo gestionan a través de una inmobiliaria.

Money and payments

Word	Translation	Example
el alquiler	rent	El alquiler es de 700 euros al mes.
la fianza	deposit	La fianza es de un mes de alquiler.
los gastos / los suministros	utilities	¿Los gastos están incluidos en el alquiler?
la comunidad	building maintenance fee	La comunidad la paga el propietario.
el recibo	bill / receipt	Necesito el recibo de cada mes.
la mensualidad	monthly payment	La mensualidad se paga el día 1.

Apartment features

Word	Translation
amueblado	furnished
sin amueblar	unfurnished
exterior / interior	windows facing the street / facing an inner courtyard
luminoso	bright
reformado	renovated
ascensor	lift
calefacción	heating
aire acondicionado	air conditioning
terraza / balcón	terrace / balcony
trastero	storage room
plaza de garaje	parking space

How to read a listing

A typical listing on Idealista or Fotocasa looks like this:

«Piso exterior de 3 habitaciones, 1 baño, salón amplio, cocina equipada. 75 m². 4ª planta con ascensor. Reformado. Calefacción central. Zona tranquila, bien comunicada. 800 €/mes + gastos. Fianza: 1 mes.»

Let's break it down piece by piece:

• Piso exterior — an apartment with windows facing the street (not the inner courtyard).
• 3 habitaciones — 3 bedrooms. In Spain, listings count bedrooms, not every room.
• 1 baño — 1 bathroom.
• salón amplio — a spacious living room.
• cocina equipada — a kitchen with appliances.
• 75 m² — a floor area of 75 square metres.
• 4ª planta con ascensor — 4th floor with a lift (see the note on floor numbering below — it does not work the way you might expect).
• Reformado — renovated.
• Calefacción central — central heating.
• Bien comunicada — well connected by public transport.
• 800 €/mes + gastos — €800 per month + utilities.
• Fianza: 1 mes — a deposit equal to one month's rent.

What to look out for: If a listing says «gastos incluidos», utilities are included in the price. If it says «gastos aparte» or «+ gastos», you pay them separately — as a rough guide, expect in the order of €100–200 extra per month.

Useful phrases for talking to the landlord

First contact (by phone or message)

• Buenos días, llamo por el anuncio del piso en alquiler. — Good morning, I am calling about the apartment for rent.
• ¿El piso sigue disponible? — Is the apartment still available?
• Me gustaría concertar una visita. — I would like to arrange a viewing.
• ¿Cuándo podría ver el piso? — When could I see the apartment?

At the viewing

• ¿Cuánto es el alquiler mensual? — How much is the monthly rent?
• ¿Los gastos están incluidos? — Are utilities included?
• ¿Cuánto es la fianza? — How much is the deposit?
• ¿El piso está amueblado? — Is the apartment furnished?
• ¿Funciona bien la calefacción? — Does the heating work well?
• ¿Se admiten mascotas? — Are pets allowed?
• ¿Cuál es la duración mínima del contrato? — What is the minimum contract length?
• ¿Quién paga la comunidad? — Who pays the building maintenance fee?
• ¿Hay buena conexión de transporte público? — Are there good public transport connections?

When signing the contract

• ¿Puedo leer el contrato con calma antes de firmar? — May I read the contract carefully before signing?
• ¿Es posible empadronarse en este piso? — Is it possible to register my residence at this apartment?
• ¿Cómo se realiza el pago mensual? — How is the monthly payment made?
• ¿Me puede dar un recibo cada mes? — Can you give me a receipt each month?

Dialogue: viewing an apartment

Here is an example of a typical conversation at a viewing:

Tenant: Buenos días. Vengo a ver el piso que anunciaron en Idealista.
Landlord: ¡Hola! Pasa, pasa. Te enseño todo.
Tenant: Gracias. ¿Cuántas habitaciones tiene?
Landlord: Tiene dos habitaciones, un baño y un salón-comedor con cocina abierta.
Tenant: Me gusta. Es luminoso. ¿Cuánto es el alquiler?
Landlord: Son 750 euros al mes, gastos aparte.
Tenant: ¿Y la fianza?
Landlord: Un mes de fianza y un mes por adelantado.
Tenant: ¿Se admiten mascotas? Tengo un gato.
Landlord: Sí, no hay problema con gatos.
Tenant: Perfecto. ¿Puedo ver el contrato?
Landlord: Claro, te lo envío por correo electrónico esta tarde.

Where to look for an apartment: the best platforms

Idealista (idealista.com)

Spain's most popular property portal. It has the largest number of listings — from both agencies and private owners. Convenient filters by price, neighbourhood and number of rooms. There is a mobile app.

Fotocasa (fotocasa.es)

The second most popular site. The interface is similar to Idealista, but listings sometimes appear here that are not on Idealista.

Milanuncios (milanuncios.com)

A classifieds board. Rooms in shared flats and apartments listed by private landlords often appear here.

Badi (badi.com)

Specialises in room rentals. A convenient service for students and young professionals.

Facebook and Telegram groups

Look for groups like «Pisos en alquiler + [city]» or local expat and community housing groups — in a big international city like Valencia they are very active, and owners and tenants often post offers and room listings there directly. If you are heading to Valencia, start with our Valencia page.

Tips for your apartment search

1. Start early

The rental market in Spain is very competitive, especially in Madrid and Barcelona. Start looking 1–2 months before your planned move. Valencia is a little calmer, but the good options go fast there too.

2. Be prepared for the fianza

A standard deposit is 1–2 months' rent. On top of that, the first month is often requested in advance. All in all, you will need the equivalent of 2–3 months' rent when you move in.

3. Check what is included in the price

Always ask: «¿Los gastos están incluidos?» Utilities (water, electricity, gas, internet) can add in the region of €100–200 to the monthly total.

4. Empadronamiento — registering your address

If you plan to live in Spain for any length of time, you will need empadronamiento — registering your place of residence at the address where you actually live. Not all landlords allow it, so ask in advance: «¿Es posible empadronarse?»

5. Watch out for scams

Never transfer money before you have seen the apartment in person or over a video call. If a price looks too good to be true, it probably is. Use only well-established platforms.

6. Read the contract carefully

Pay attention to:

• Duración del contrato — the contract term (usually 1 year with the option to renew).
• Preaviso — how many days' notice you must give before moving out (usually 30 days).
• Cláusula de penalización — a penalty for terminating the contract early.
• Inventario — the inventory of furniture and appliances.

Cultural notes on renting in Spain

Floor numbering

In Spain the storey at street level is called planta baja (ground floor), and counting starts above it: primera planta is the first storey above street level. So if a listing says «4ª planta», that means four floors above the ground floor — one storey higher than the same number would suggest in countries where the street-level floor is counted as floor one.

No central heating

In many parts of Spain (especially on the coast) there is no central heating. An apartment can feel cold in winter! Always ask: «¿Tiene calefacción?» If not, you will need a heater (estufa).

Viewing times

Spaniards have lunch from 14:00 to 16:00. Do not expect viewings during those hours. The best times to arrange a visit are the morning (10:00–13:00) or the evening (17:00–20:00).

Agency fees: who pays

For a habitual residential lease (arrendamiento de vivienda habitual) in Spain, Article 20 of the rental law (LAU, Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos) puts agency management and contract-formation costs on the landlord, not the tenant. Rules for room rentals and temporary rentals may differ, so check your contract and ask about any fees before signing. The official text of the law is published on the BOE website.

Comunidad de vecinos

Every apartment building has a comunidad de vecinos — a residents' association. It sets the house rules: whether you can hang laundry on the balcony, keep pets, or make noise after a certain hour. It is worth clarifying these rules in advance.

A mini-dictionary for listings

Abbreviations you will often see in listings:

Abbreviation	Full form	Meaning
hab.	habitación	room / bedroom
dorm.	dormitorio	bedroom
m²	metros cuadrados	square metres
A/A	aire acondicionado	air conditioning
CC	calefacción central	central heating
asc.	ascensor	lift
pza. garaje	plaza de garaje	parking space
€/mes	euros al mes	euros per month

To sum up

Apartment-hunting in Spain is not only a practical task — it is also a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the language. Here is what matters most:

• Learn the housing types — piso, estudio, ático, habitación.
• Memorise the key words: alquiler, fianza, contrato, gastos, amueblado.
• Use Idealista and Fotocasa for your search.
• Always ask about gastos and whether empadronamiento is possible.
• Never transfer money before you have viewed the apartment.
• Read the contract carefully, paying attention to the term, the deposit and any penalties.

Want to talk to landlords confidently and read listings without a dictionary? On the intensive Spanish courses at Taronja in Valencia you will learn practical Spanish for real-life situations — from renting a home to going to the doctor. Current course formats and costs are always up to date on our prices page, and you will find more practical guides like this one on the Taronja blog.