Finding a flat to rent in Madrid

Before you start

• A budget that covers the first month, the deposit and a possible additional guarantee
• Your ID document and proof of income or savings

Documents you need

• Passport

  required

• Employment contract

  optional

• Bank statements or savings certificate

  Useful if you have no Spanish payslips yet.

  optional

• Spanish bank account for rent payments

  optional

• Signed lease

  required

Step by step

1. 1

   Step 1: Set a realistic budget and area

   Use district asking rents as a starting point. In the first quarter of 2026, Brains Real Estate reported, per m² a month: Centro €31.1, Salamanca €31.1, Chamberí €28.2, Retiro €26.8, Chamartín €24.7, Arganzuela €24.5, Tetuán €24.4, Moncloa-Aravaca €21.1, Usera €21.0, Puente de Vallecas €19.8, Carabanchel €18.7 and Moratalaz €16.5. These are asking prices, not signed leases. As an illustration, OCU calculated that a 60 m² flat at its May 2026 Arganzuela average of €25.2 per m² would cost about €1,512 a month.

   Metro and Cercanías connect most districts, so widening your search area can lower the rent considerably. See Cost of living in Madrid and the neighbourhood profiles.

2. 2

   Step 2: Arrange temporary housing that works for the padrón

   A furnished room or flat for the first weeks lets you visit homes in person. If you want to register in the padrón there, remember that Madrid accepts a lease only if it is current, signed by everyone named and runs for at least six months; otherwise, ask the owner or main tenant to sign the authorisation on the city's registration form (see Registering in the Madrid padrón).

3. 3

   Step 3: Search through several channels

   Most homes are advertised on large property portals and by estate agencies (inmobiliarias). Also ask your employer or university, and use personal networks. The Community of Madrid's Plan Alquila is a free public intermediation service that connects available homes with tenants, offers free legal mediation and, through Plan Alquila Comparte, shared housing.

4. 4

   Step 4: Prepare your application file

   Landlords and agencies usually ask for your ID, your employment contract and recent payslips, or other proof of income. Newcomers without Spanish payslips can offer bank statements, an employer's letter or proof of savings. Keep everything in one digital folder so you can reply quickly.

5. 5

   Step 5: Check the contract and the money you pay

   Under national law as amended on 8 October 2026:

   • Deposit (fianza): one month's rent for a main-residence lease. Seasonal and other non-residential leases require two months.
   • Additional guarantee: for leases of up to five years (seven if the landlord is a company) it may not exceed two months' rent, or one month for temporary leases. A landlord cannot require you to take out rent-default insurance.
   • Fees: agency, management and contract formalisation costs cannot be passed on to the tenant in any form. Optional services are chargeable only if you asked for them in writing after being told they are optional and what they cost.
   • Taxes: taxes linked to the home, such as the property tax (IBI), cannot be imposed on the tenant unless the tenant is the taxpayer. Building costs can be shared only if the contract says so in writing and states the annual amount.
   • Madrid's waste fee (tasa de gestión de residuos, TGR) works differently: the owner pays it to the city but the law allows the owner to pass it on to the occupants. Check whether your lease mentions it.
6. 6

   Step 6: Visit, sign and get the deposit registered

   Visit the home, check who owns it (ask for ID and, if in doubt, a land registry extract) and sign only a written lease. The landlord must lodge your deposit with the Agencia de Vivienda Social within 30 working days; as a tenant you can ask the Community of Madrid for proof that the deposit was lodged with a copy of your lease. Then register your new address in the padrón.

7. 7

   Step 7: Moving out

   You can leave a main-residence lease after six months with 30 days' notice, without paying compensation; a temporary lease after one month with ten days' notice. At the end, landlord and tenant must sign a written record of the condition of the home; if no record is signed or it notes no damage, the home is presumed to have been returned in good condition. The landlord must return the deposit within one month of the keys being handed back.

Watch out

Common mistakes

• Paying agency fees that the law now places on the landlord.
• Signing a lease of under six months and then finding it is not accepted for the padrón.
• Not asking for a written record of the condition of the home when moving in and out.

Tips

• The city and the Madrid Bar Association run free legal advice on housing (*SOJ Vivienda*) at the district offices of Centro, Chamartín, Ciudad Lineal, Moratalaz and Usera on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:00 to 14:00; book on 900 814 815.
• The municipal consumer offices (OMIC) handle complaints about agencies and services; call 010 for an appointment.
• Keep proof of every payment; pay rent by bank transfer rather than cash.

Frequently asked questions

Editorial answers written by our team, based on the sources below.

Official links

In your plan

• Find and sign a long-term leaseAdd to plan
• Book temporary accommodation that allows padrón registrationAdd to plan
• Learn the warning signs of rental scamsAdd to plan
• Shortlist the Madrid districts that suit youAdd to plan
• Estimate your Madrid budget, including move-in costsAdd to plan
• Research schools and nursery places in MadridAdd to plan

Sources

Written and checked by HomiStart editorial against the official sources below. Next scheduled check: 6 Jan 2027.