Finding a rental flat in Spain

The most used sites are Idealista, Fotocasa, Habitaclia (rich in Catalonia), Pisos.com and Milanuncios, and for rooms and shared housing Badi, Spotahome and Idealista Habitaciones.

• Turn on instant alerts via the app since good flats are rented within hours.
• Tell your colleagues and friends that you are searching, and follow local Facebook groups and migrant groups.
• You may search through estate agencies that often collect their fees from the owner under the recent housing law, so check that you are not asked to pay them.
• Search in cheaper neighbouring towns and districts served by the train (Cercanías) or the metro.
• And do not hesitate to message several adverts at once.

Landlords usually ask for proof of income of at least three times the monthly rent, such as a work contract and three payslips (nóminas) and sometimes a tax return, a copy of your passport or NIE, and may request a guarantor (avalista) or an additional bank guarantee (aval bancario).

• Prepare a digital PDF file ready to send as soon as you see a good advert, and attach a short introduction letter in Spanish explaining who you are, your job and when you want to move.
• If you are new and without Spanish payslips some landlords may accept the work contract, an employer letter, a bank balance or a guarantee from your company.
• And do not hesitate to ask frankly what they need.

The Urban Leases Act (LAU) governs contracts: a minimum duration of five years (seven if the owner is a company) protecting the tenant, with the possibility of leaving after six months with thirty days' notice.

• The annual increase is set by an index set by law and not by the owner's wish.
• The deposit (fianza), usually one month's rent, must be deposited with a regional body.
• And the landlord may request additional guarantees up to two months.
• Under the housing law an agency commission is not imposed on the tenant.
• In some areas classed as stressed zones (zona tensionada) rent caps are set.
• Learn the situation in your area, and ask tenants' associations such as the Sindicato de Inquilinas for help in a dispute.

Fraud spreads because of intense demand: a fraudster advertises a flat at a tempting price and asks for a deposit or advance rent transfer to reserve the flat before viewing, and says he lives abroad and will post the keys, then disappears.

• The golden rule: do not pay any amount before you see the flat yourself, check the owner's identity (via a nota simple from the property register or a bill) and sign a written contract.
• Beware of very low prices and requests to transfer via Western Union or prepaid cards.
• Search for the photos online to check that they are not copied.
• Report any fraud to the police and the advertising platform.

Before finding a flat you can rent a room (habitación) in a shared flat, which is more common in university cities, or a short-term furnished flat, or housing through your university or employer.

• Check that you can register at the address and your rights in the room contract.
• For young people under thirty-five there are youth rent aids (Bono Alquiler Joven) in some periods, and for low-income earners aid from the government, the region and the town hall, and there is social housing (vivienda de protección oficial) by registering on lists.
• Ask the housing department of your town hall or social services.
• And look also for flats that allow sharing through friends or the community.

What is the minimum duration of a housing lease?