Read this article to learn the optimal process for finding a rental apartment in Madrid and what you can expect your search to be like.
Essentially, there are two ways to find a rental apartment in Madrid:
1) Via a website
2) Via a professional who will conduct the search for you
These 2 key options cover 90% of all cases and are available to any person moving to Madrid.
1) Via a website
The best classified websites to find a rental apartment in Madrid are:
- Fotocasa – entirely free, with the largest number of flat rentals
- Idealista – entirely free, very well designed, easy to search and use
- Spotahome– charges a small booking fee, excellent for medium-term rentals
There are more, but these three are clearly the best.
PROS: These websites will give you access to the largest database of flats, apartments and rooms to share. They have powerful search functions and alerts and are easy to use.
CONS: Anyone can upload anything, so there’s a risk of scams (we do not recommend Craigslist for this reason: it’s full of scams). Over 90% of the listings on Fotocasa and Idealista are only in Spanish. Spotahome is available in eight different languages, including English, French, Italian and German.
It is important to invest sufficient time in your apartment search. Surveys demonstrate that it takes, on average, eighteen days to find a rental apartment in Madrid. Ideally, you will have a friend that will let you stay at their place so you don’t have to pay for accommodation and some elementary Spanish to scan through the ads.
Your choice of neighborhood will depend upon your budget and lifestyle
2) Via a professional who will conduct the search for you
If you are ready to invest a minimum of one week, fulltime, to your apartment search, have some Spanish skills and are ready to handle the search until you find what you know is the best in Madrid, you can search yourself.
If not, we recommend that you ask for help. Using an efficient professional that knows the Madrid rental apartment market and speaks Spanish will ultimately save you time and money.
Real estate agents: will charge you a month’s rent (sometimes up to two) to find you a flat. Typically, they choose something in their portfolio of properties. Most will not speak English (or just a bit) since Madrid is not as full of expats as the Coasts. If you use an estate agent to find your rental, you are paying them for a service they provide to the landlord.
Moving2Madrid’s apartment search partner: will charge you a competitive rate to find a apartment. They speak English. Moreover, they are relocation experts so they can help you with other needs such as:
- Setting up your utilties
- Negotiating the price
- Helping you sign the lease
- Helping you open a bank account
- Helping you lease or buy furniture
- Finding you the best home insurance
- Finding a school for your children
- Helping you move your pets
Conclusion: Your best option for finding a rental apartment in Madrid depends on the time and money you have to spend
The option you choose depends on two factors: time and money. If you do not have time for the search, use a professional. If you do not want to spend money but have time to search (and speak some Spanish), you can use one of the apartment listing websites. Please keep in mind that even if you use a website like Idealista, you will often end up having to pay a fee to the agency managing the apartment.
If you don’t speak Spanish, we recommend that you use a professional if you are looking for a rental property in Madrid.
Further reading
Madrid neighborhoods are very diverse. To learn about the different neighborhoods, you can read our shortlist of The Best Neighborhoods in Madrid.