Renting an apartment in Barcelona is as much an adventure as in every big city in the world. We know that. The rental prices rising together with the shortage of supply and the high demand for houses (especially in these summer dates) make this task more and more complicated. Fortunately, more and more people are relying on the professionalization of the real estate market and the help of real estate agencies.
And that would be our basic advice when it comes to renting a flat in Barcelona: rely on professional real estate agents to avoid any kind of unpleasant surprise. We would like to share some pieces of advice with the potential renters of Barcelona:
1. Budget, area and type of house you want to rent
This is fundamental to delimit the search and to not waste your time or energy: how much money do you want (or can) spend in the rent of a house? It is advisable not to spend more than a third of your salary on the monthly rent but, at the end of the day, is a persona decision so once you have set the budget, the next step would be to know what kind of house you are looking for and where you want to live: do you want a residential area, near playgrounds? Do you prefer to live near the center? Close to your job? What are the basic services of the areas that you like? Are they well communicated? Those are questions that you might answer before starting the search.
2. Objective: find a house to rent
Once we know what kind of house we want, the area where we would like to live and the budget we have, it’s time to start the search process. Normally, the easiest thing to do is to go online through the real estate portals and the real estate agencies’ websites . The other option is to walk around the desired area and giving a call to the ads that we find on the way.
But, if you do not have the time or prefer that professionals in real state give you advise about the best options and possibilities of rental housing, the best you could do is trust a real estate agency. This option, in addition, has several advantages:
- You will avoid real estate scams. Sometimes we found some ads that usually stand out for having great conditions, both in location and price. What happens with that kind of ‘wonderful houses’ is that it is impossible to pay a visit, the owner is always abroad and he/she asks for a payment in advance.
- Each neighborhood has its peculiarities different from the rest of the neighborhoods of Barcelona. When dealing with a specialized agency in the area where you want to rent the apartment, it will be much easier to get a detailed orientation about the dynamics of the neighborhood.
- Lease contract. Also a real estate agency offers you a series of guarantees regarding the administrative formalities related to the contract of housing for rent.
3. Not too much time to think
When a house meets the conditions that you like and are in the desired area, do not think too much about it because that may mean running out of the house. Our recommendation is that you try to arrange the visit as soon as possible. Of course, that does not mean you should rush and rent it without giving it a thought. The ideal would be to have several rental options to decide among them.
4. Did you get a crush on the flat? Book it!
If you find the house that you would like to rent, it fits your budget and your requirements, the best thing you can do is to book it as soon as possible. Keep in mind that neither the owner nor the real estate agencies can commit to anyone if there is no guarantee. That is why, if possible, the ideal is to have at least the money corresponding to the first month rent and sign a reservation agreement as soon as possible.
5. Signing the contract, rights and duties when renting a home
After booking the leasing of the apartment, it is time to sign the contract. It is important that this includes a detailed inventory of the house (if furnished). In addition to the month of the reservation, which will count as payment of the first rent, the tenant must pay the deposit (established by the owner) and the agency fee.
Once the contract has been signed, the tenant will have some rights and obligations, including paying the rent monthly and not subletting the house. It is important that you take out home liability insurance since no one is safe from accidents and, as the Spanish saying goes: it’s better safe than sorry.
If you have more questions, you can always contact us. At Casc Antic BCN. We have more than 30 years of experience in the rental of houses and our strategy focuses on the specialization in the area of the old town, Poble Sec and Sant Antoni de Barcelona.
