When to look for student housing and how to avoid scams

Key rules

• Halls: Apply for a hall place from January to April, as early as possible.
• Shared flats: Search 4 to 8 weeks before term, because landlords rarely list earlier.
• Before paying: Never pay before a viewing or live video tour and a written contract.
• Payment method: Pay only by bank transfer to the landlord's or agency's named account, and keep the receipt.

Start early: halls first, flats in summer

Start with halls. Apply between January and April, and as early as you can. Places in good halls in Madrid and Barcelona go quickly.

For shared flats, the best time to search is usually 4 to 8 weeks before term, in July and August. Landlords rarely list further ahead, so searching in spring often turns up very little.

Many students book a temporary stay for the first week and view flats in person when they arrive. This lets you see a place before you pay for it. The timeline below shows the order of steps.

Where September is hardest

Demand is highest in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Málaga, Sevilla, Palma, San Sebastián and Santiago de Compostela. Many students arrive at the same time, and tourist flats take up long-term supply.

Salamanca, Granada, Valladolid and Pamplona are busy in September too, but supply is usually easier. If you are heading to a big city, search early and have a fallback.

How the scams work

Scams aimed at people renting from abroad usually look like this:

• A price that is too good to be true, with photos copied from other adverts.
• A "landlord" abroad who cannot show the flat and wants a deposit or first month by transfer before you view it.
• Keys "sent by courier" after you pay.
• Fake agency, booking or escrow websites that ask for a reservation fee.
• A real listing copied with the real owner's address but different contact details.
• Fake or altered ID or ownership papers.
• A subletter renting out a flat they do not control.
• Pressure to pay within hours.

Check before you pay

• Insist on a live video tour or a viewing, ideally by a trusted friend or a university contact.
• Ask the landlord for ID. Check that the name matches the owner shown on a nota simple. You can request one online with the property address.
• If the person is subletting, ask for the owner's written permission.
• Run a reverse image search on the photos and compare the price with similar listings.
• Phone any agency and check its registration and reviews.
• Get a written contract before you pay anything.

The checklist and the documents list below give the full detail.

Payments: normal and not normal

Normal practice is a signed contract, a reservation deposit that is credited towards the rent, and a fianza of one month's rent. The landlord must lodge the fianza with the regional authority. The first month's rent is paid on signing or handover. Student rooms sometimes ask for slightly more, so get every amount in writing, with a receipt.

Pay by bank transfer to an account in the name of the landlord or agency.

Walk away if you are asked to:

• pay before any viewing or video call;
• pay someone other than the named landlord or agency;
• pay by Western Union, gift cards, crypto or cash sent abroad;
• pay through a link to an unfamiliar "secure" site;
• pay several months' rent upfront.

If your housing falls through before term, see the "What if" section below.

Timeline and deadlines

• Apply for a university hall, as early as possible: from January to April

• Book a temporary stay and view flats in person on arrival: for your first week in the city

• Check the landlord and the contract, and see the flat by viewing or live video: before you pay anything

• Pay the reservation deposit, which is credited towards the rent: after the contract is agreed in writing

• Pay the fianza of one month's rent and the first month's rent, and keep the receipts: on signing or handover

Documents you need

• The landlord's ID, so you can check that the name matches the owner of the flat. Ask the landlord for it before you pay.

• A nota simple, a cheap extract from the Registro de la Propiedad (the property registry) that shows who owns the flat. You can request it online with the property address.

• The owner's written permission to sublet, if the person renting to you is a subletter and not the owner.

• A written contract naming the parties, the address, the rent and the deposit. Get it before you pay anything.

• A receipt from the landlord or agency for every payment, including the reservation deposit, the fianza and the first month's rent.

Student housing viewing and booking checklist

Before you pay a deposit

• Ask for a live video tour or a viewing, ideally by a trusted friend or a university contact, before any payment.

• Ask the landlord for ID and check the name matches the owner on a nota simple, a cheap extract from the property registry that you can request online with the address.

• Ask a subletter for the owner's written permission to sublet.

• Get a written contract naming the parties, address, rent and deposit before you pay anything.

• Walk away if you are asked to pay by Western Union, gift cards, crypto or cash sent abroad, or through a link to an unfamiliar site.

• Walk away if you are asked to pay before a viewing or video call, or to pay several months' rent upfront.

• Refuse pressure to pay within hours, and be wary of keys promised by courier after payment.

• Check that a reservation deposit is credited towards the rent, and that the legal deposit (fianza) is one month's rent for a residential lease.

• For a hall or residence, ask in writing whether the fee covers utilities, wifi, cleaning, linen and meals, and which extras cost more, such as registration fee, laundry, parking or summer stays.

What if your housing falls through before term starts?

Book a safe bed for the first nights, then look for something longer. Work through these steps in order and stop when you have a place.

1. Cover the first nights

Book a hostel dorm bed or a budget hotel, using a booking site with free cancellation. A dorm bed usually costs 20-50 euros a night, depending on the city and season. Madrid, Barcelona and tourist cities cost the most, and August to September is the busiest time. Book a few nights at a time so you can leave once something better comes up.

2. Contact the university

Write to the international office or the student services section. Many universities have a housing service or an online board where landlords post rooms, and some link to partner residences. Some boards need a student login. These services do not guarantee housing and do not check landlords, so treat every listing with the usual caution.

3. Ask residences about late places

Email or phone private residences and university halls directly. Ask to join the waiting list, and ask about flexible or semester contracts. Private operators often still have places late in the summer. Public and popular halls in big cities are usually full, but places open up when September resit results come out and when admissions are not confirmed. Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia have far fewer vacancies than smaller cities.

4. Take a short-stay room

Rooms for a few weeks to a few months are listed on short-stay rental sites. Student-residence and coliving operators offer flexible contracts, and many accept stays from one month. The monthly price is usually higher than for a standard long-term room. Use this to buy time while you search for a regular shared flat on the usual room-search sites.

If you were scammed

Act the same day.

1. Collect the evidence: the ad, messages, payment receipts, bank transfer details, and the scammer's phone number or email.
2. Call your bank straight away and ask it to stop or recall the transfer.
3. File a police report with the Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil. You can do it in person at a police station. If you do not know who the scammer is, you can also file online. Keep your copy.
4. Online reports usually have to be confirmed at a police station within a few days, so go in when asked.
5. Report the ad to the platform that hosted it.

Do not send any more money while you wait for a refund. A scammer may ask for "fees" to return your deposit.

Where to find student housing, jobs and discounts

Where to look

• Your university housing service or international office: Check its online room board and partner residences, and ask for the housing guide for incoming students.

• Idealista and Fotocasa: Search flats and rooms across Spain. Habitaclia is strong in Catalonia.

• Uniplaces, Spotahome, HousingAnywhere and Erasmusu: Book student and mid-term rooms, with bookings and payments handled by the platform.

• Your university career or placement office: Find prácticas placements through its portal, and ask your faculty's placement coordinator.

• Your university student card (carné universitario): Collect it after enrolment for library, sports and campus access, and discounts at museums, cinemas and events.

Frequently asked questions

Can I wait until September to find a shared flat?

No, searching in September is hard and competitive in the biggest cities, so aim for July and August instead.

Which cities are the hardest for student rooms in September?

The tightest markets are Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Málaga, Sevilla, Palma, San Sebastián and Santiago de Compostela. Many students arrive at the same time there, and tourist flats reduce the long-term supply. Salamanca, Granada, Valladolid and Pamplona are lively too, but rooms are usually easier to find.

How much should I pay up front for a student room?

A normal start is a signed contract, a reservation deposit that counts towards the rent, a fianza (legal deposit) of one month's rent and the first month's rent on signing or handover.

What does a rental scam aimed at students abroad look like?

A typical scam is a too-cheap listing with photos copied from other adverts, where a landlord abroad cannot show the flat and asks for a transfer first. Keys are then said to be sent by courier after you pay. Fake agency or booking pages that ask for a reservation fee, and pressure to pay quickly, are also common.