Checklist · Renting
Before you sign: a renting checklist for Spain
For a standard long-term home rental. Print it, or keep it open on your phone at the viewing.
Before you apply
- Ask what type of contract it is (habitual residence, seasonal or holiday) and why.
- Prepare one organised, secure file: identification, your NIE if issued, and proof you can pay.
- Watermark sensitive copies for this application only.
- Ask how your personal information will be handled.
- Send nothing financial to anyone you haven’t verified.
Your budget
- Add up the full upfront total: first month, one-month fianza and any additional guarantee (generally up to two months for a habitual home). On €800 rent, that can reach €3,200 before moving costs or furniture.
- Paying months in advance? Remember it also raises your exposure if the listing isn’t genuine.
- Asked to pay an agency fee for an ordinary long-term home lease? Ask for the legal basis and a written breakdown first.
At the viewing
- Open the taps and check the water pressure.
- Look for damp, mould and fresh paint hiding stains.
- Test the windows and shutters.
- Ask about heating and cooling.
- Listen for street and neighbour noise.
- Confirm which furniture stays.
Before you pay anything
- Ask the owner or agent for identification and evidence they can rent the property.
- Check the address and details match across the listing, contract and payment instructions.
- Get a written purpose, recipient and receipt for every payment.
- No transfers to an unrelated account without a documented explanation.
- Can’t view in person? Use a trusted representative or a verifiable live viewing, and reverse-search the listing photos.
- Be suspicious of a price far below comparable homes, and of “ten other applicants” pressure.
The contract
- Confirm the parties, property, term, rent, payment date, deposit, guarantee, inventory, bills, notice rules, repair procedure and any penalty.
- No blank spaces, and no promises that aren’t written in.
- Check who pays utilities, community charges, property tax and waste charges.
- “All bills included”? Get the fair-use limit, the settlement method and the list of services.
- If you need to register on the padrón, check you can do it at this address.
- Read the exit terms: notice period and any compensation for leaving early.
Moving in
- Photograph every room, appliance, mark, meter and key.
- Send a dated inventory in writing, and keep the original files.
- Ask for evidence the deposit has been lodged with the regional body, where regional rules require it.
Moving out
- Give notice in the form and time the contract and law require.
- Clean, remove your belongings and photograph the condition.
- Record the meter readings and complete a signed key handover.
- Ask for itemised deductions with supporting invoices, and keep everything in writing.
General information, not legal advice. Regional rules and individual contracts vary; use a qualified professional when the stakes are high. Figures and legal references were checked on 26 July 2026, so re-check current rules before acting. Sources are listed on the Episode 3 guide.