Property for rent in Spain

Spain’s Supreme Court delivered a ruling last November which marks an inflection point on who pays what taxes in a rental agreements.

Spain’s government is preparing a new housing package that combines a sharp increase in VAT on tourist rentals with measures to extend and stabilise rental contracts, presented as part of its response to the country’s housing crisis.Spain’s new housing push: why it matters if you own or rentThe Span

Paint is one of the elements that most affects the appearance and overall condition of a home. However, when it’s time to repaint, one of the most common questions between landlords and tenants comes up: who has to cover the cost of painting a rental property? The answer is not always straightforward, as it depends on the reason painting is needed, the condition of the property and what the tenancy agreement states.

Valencia has approved a new set of rules for tourist accommodation that local officials describe as “the most restrictive in Spain” for holiday lets. The measures, which entered into force in late May 2026, are designed to put an end to what the city government calls a “free‑for‑all” in tourist

If you’re renting in Spain, especially in a flat rather than a standalone house, you’ll almost certainly hear the word comunidad. It refers to the 'Community of Owners' in Spain, formally called a Comunidad de Propietarios.

Renting in Spain with pets is absolutely possible, but it isn’t always straightforward.

Behind every room search is someone starting a new job, moving to another city, leaving home for the first time or needing to find something quickly because their current contract is ending soon.

Barcelona's rental market is increasingly fragmented, making "normal" housing hard to find. According to Amat Immobiliaris' 2025 report, supply is polarising: large flats for high earners and small flats are both on the rise, whilst the most sought-after middle ground – medium-sized flats – is all but disappearing.

One of the first consequences of the pandemic and the state of emergency on the property market was a sharp rise in the supply of rental homes.

For many, renting can feel like paying for a home without ever owning it. Buying is the alternative, but it comes with a significant financial commitment—especially with mortgage interest rates still relatively high.

Spain’s rental market is under intense pressure, with rising demand, limited supply and growing political scrutiny of tourist accommodation.

Amid a deepening housing crisis and a shortage of public homes, Barcelona City Council is turning to private landlords with grants of up to €30,000 to renovate empty or dilapidated properties – on the condition they are added to the public rental pool. The scheme aims both to upgrade ageing housing stock and to expand the supply of affordable, below-market rentals.

Spain has fired a clear warning shot at the short‑term rental market, after the country confirmed that Airbnb must face a €64 million fine.What has Spain fined Airbnb for?The fine was originally imposed in December 2025 by Spain’s Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030. It

Understanding how long a residential lease can last in Spain is no longer straightforward – recent legal changes have made it increasingly complex. Following the Housing Rights Act, lease duration now depends on several variables, including whether the landlord is an individual or a company and whether the property is in a high-demand area. As José Ramón Zurdo explains, determining the true length of a contract requires careful analysis of each specific case.

Many tenants assume that leaving a flat and handing over the keys automatically ends a rental agreement. A recent ruling by the Provincial Court of Huesca shows this is not the case – the court ordered a tenant to pay €2,758 in unpaid rent, as she never formally returned possession of the property. The critical issue is not whether the tenant lived in the flat, but the lack of legal proof that the property was effectively returned to the owner.

According to the latest data from property portal Idealista, 15% of rental homes in Spain were taken off the market in less than 24 hours during the final quarter of 2025. In some cities, demand is even more intense.

The government has launched Casa 47, a new state-owned housing company designed to expand affordable rental options and strengthen Spain’s public housing stock. This is everything you need to know.

Article 18 of Spain’s Urban Leases Act (LAU) sets out how residential rents can be updated during a tenancy.

For years, buying a holiday home has been a rigid, hard-to-reverse decision. Co-ownership is now changing this, bringing real liquidity to a traditionally inflexible market. In Spain, Vivla is driving this shift as it expands into new tourist destinations.

Barcelona has once again placed housing at the centre of political and social debate. The City Council’s plan to phase out 10,000 tourist accommodation licences by 2028 coincides with the Ministry of Housing ordering digital platforms to remove thousands of listings that fail to meet the new state registry rules. While both measures aim to curb tourist rentals, the sector questions how far they will ease the housing access crisis.

Andalusia’s new Ley 5/2025 abolishes the regional body that protected tenants’ rental deposits. Tenants now face greater risk of landlords withholding deposits, making refunds harder and potentially increasing legal disputes, especially for long-term and short-term rental agreements.

House prices in Spain could continue rising for the rest of the decade due to a persistent lack of supply. This is the main conclusion of a new real estate report by Bankinter analysts, which updates their forecasts and predicts price growth of 7% this year and 4% by 2027, in line with the quarterly investment report published at the end of last year.

The number of active tourist accommodations in Spain has fallen sharply. According to the latest data from the Spanish Statistics Institute (INE), there were 329,764 holiday flats nationwide in November 2025 – 12.4% fewer than a year earlier (376,463) and 13.6% fewer than in May (381,837), just before the short-term rental register came into force.

Marbella-based Larraín Nesbitt Abogados (LNA) has over 23 years of experience at your service. We offer a wide range of 60 legal and corporate services. Our team of native English-speaking lawyers and economists have a long track record of successfully assisting expats all over Spain.

Catalonia’s rental housing market came under intense pressure in 2025 due to a widening gap between supply and demand. Experts agree that little will change in 2026. Limited supply, sustained demand and rising rent are set to persist in a market shaped by ongoing regulation, including the designation of high-demand areas that continue to constrain available stock.