Temporary housing when you arrive alone

Key rules

• Contract protection: A short-stay contract gives you fewer protections than a normal home rental, so the terms you sign are what count.
• Cheapest option: A room in a shared flat is usually the cheapest, and coliving costs more but usually includes bills.
• Most flexible: A hostel private room needs only one night, which makes it the safest first stop.
• Busy months: September and January are the hardest months to find a room, so book early.
• Coliving notice: Leaving a coliving usually needs 15–30 days' notice.

Which option to pick

Start with a hostel private room for your first nights. Then move to a shared flat room or coliving once you have seen the place. Choose coliving if you want bills included and people around you. Choose a shared flat if you want the lowest price. The decision tool below helps you choose.

The four options compared

Prices are typical estimates, and they rose notably through 2025. Smaller towns have far fewer of these formats.

Monthly-rate aparthotels and furnished mid-term flats also exist. They cost more but need little commitment.

What each one is like

Room in a shared flat. This is the cheapest and the most local. You live with flatmates, and the quality varies a lot. Ask for a video call or visit before you pay anything. The message templates below help you write to hosts in English and Spanish.

Coliving. You get a furnished room, shared spaces, cleaning and utilities in one price. It is the easiest way to meet people. You book on the operator's website. Leaving usually needs 15–30 days' notice, so check the notice period before you book.

Hostel private room. This is the most flexible. It is good for the first days while you look around. Over a month it usually costs more than a shared flat.

Student residence. It is sociable and often includes meals. Availability is best in the academic year (September to June), with some places open in summer. Some residences restrict non-students, so ask before you plan around one.

What your contract protects

The protection is weaker than for a normal home rental. Seasonal leases for non-habitual uses such as work, study, medical treatment or holiday are governed by your agreement and general civil law, not residential tenant protections. That means no automatic multi-year right to stay. The terms you sign are what count.

A room in a shared flat is usually also governed by the agreement. Coliving and residences that include services such as cleaning and utilities are often treated as service contracts rather than ordinary leases.

A seasonal contract used to disguise a permanent home can be reclassified as a normal residential lease. Do not rely on that. Read the end date, the notice period and the deposit terms before you pay.

Deposits

Expect a deposit of one or two months for a short stay. Rules on where a deposit is held differ by region, so ask the host or operator where it will be held and when you get it back. Get the amount and the refund conditions in writing.

When it is hardest

Availability is tightest in September and January. If you arrive then, book your first nights ahead and start your search early.

Timing

The timeline below shows when to book each option and when to give notice.

Choosing between options

Which kind of temporary housing suits you when you arrive alone?

• Room in a shared flat: You want the lowest price and can commit one to three months. Expect roughly €450 to 700 in Madrid and Barcelona, €300 to 450 in Valencia and €250 to 400 in Sevilla. The contract follows your agreement and general civil law.

• Coliving: You want a social place with bills included and can commit about a month. Expect roughly €700 to 1,300 in Madrid and Barcelona and €600 to 1,000 in Valencia and Sevilla. It is often a service contract rather than a normal lease.

• Private room in a hostel: You need the most flexibility, from one night, while you look for something longer. Monthly rates often start at 28 to 30 nights.

• Student residence: You are a student or the residence accepts others, and you can stay a semester or academic year. Expect roughly €700 to 1,300 in Madrid and Barcelona and €500 to 900 elsewhere, often with meals.

Choose by how long you must commit and how much you want to pay: hostel for the first days, shared flat for the lowest cost, coliving for bills included and company, residence for a full academic year.

Timeline and deadlines

• Book a coliving space: usually one month minimum, sometimes a week or two at higher rates

• Give notice to leave a coliving: 15 to 30 days before you leave

• Rent a room in a shared flat through a platform: usually a one to three month commitment

• Take a student residence: usually a semester or academic year; some offer monthly or summer stays

• Sign a traditional room or flat lease: landlords often ask for 6 to 12 months

Messages to send a host before booking, in English and Spanish

Send these before you pay anything. Ask the host to answer in writing, so you have a record if the flat is not what the listing promised. Copy the English and Spanish together, delete the parts that do not apply to you, and fill in the blanks.

Opening message

English

Hello, I am interested in your apartment for [dates]. Before I book, could you please answer a few questions in writing? Thank you.

Español

Hola, me interesa su apartamento para las fechas [fechas]. Antes de reservar, ¿podría responder por escrito a unas preguntas? Gracias.

Pets

English

Are pets allowed? Is there a pet fee? I have a small dog [change to your pet]. Please confirm in writing.

Español

¿Se admiten mascotas? ¿Hay algún suplemento por mascota? Tengo un perro pequeño. Por favor, confírmelo por escrito.

Children

English

Is the apartment suitable for children? Do you have a cot or high chair, and is there a charge for them? We are travelling with a baby [or: with [number] children aged [ages]]. Is there an extra charge for children, extra beds, cleaning or a deposit? Please confirm the total price for [number] guests.

Español

¿Es apto para niños? ¿Tienen cuna o trona, y tiene algún coste? Viajamos con un bebé [o: con [número] niños de [edades] años]. ¿Hay algún suplemento por niños, camas extra, limpieza o fianza? Por favor, confirme el precio total para [número] personas.

Extra charges for children and extra beds vary by property and season, so ask for the total price in writing. Babies and toddlers often stay free, and a cot is often free or costs a few euros a night. Extra adults or beds usually cost more.

Access and mobility

Use this if you use a wheelchair, have reduced mobility, or travel with a pram or heavy luggage. Cut the questions you do not need.

English

Could you please answer these questions and send photos and measurements where you can?

1. Which floor is the apartment on, and how many steps are there from the street to the apartment door? Please include any steps before the lift, and any ramp.
2. Is there a lift? What is the width and depth of the cabin, and the width of the door opening? Does the lift stop at the apartment's floor, or at a half-landing?
3. How wide are the doors inside the apartment, including the bathroom door?
4. Is there room to turn a wheelchair (about 1.5 m)?
5. Is the shower walk-in or level-access, or is there a tub? Are there grab rails, a shower seat, and what is the toilet height?
6. What is the bed height, and how much space is there beside it?
7. Are there kerbs, slopes or cobbles outside? Is there parking or a drop-off point nearby?
8. Are there raised thresholds or steps to the balcony?

Español

¿Podría responder a estas preguntas y enviar fotos y medidas si es posible?

1. ¿En qué planta está el apartamento y cuántos escalones hay desde la calle hasta la puerta? Incluya los escalones antes del ascensor y cualquier rampa.
2. ¿Hay ascensor? ¿Cuánto miden el ancho y el fondo de la cabina y el ancho de la puerta? ¿El ascensor llega a la planta del apartamento o se para en un entresuelo?
3. ¿Cuánto miden las puertas interiores, incluida la del baño?
4. ¿Hay espacio para girar una silla de ruedas (unos 1,5 m)?
5. ¿La ducha es a ras de suelo o hay bañera? ¿Hay barras de apoyo, asiento de ducha? ¿A qué altura está el inodoro?
6. ¿Qué altura tiene la cama y cuánto espacio hay a su lado?
7. ¿Hay bordillos, cuestas o adoquines en el exterior? ¿Hay aparcamiento o zona de parada cerca?
8. ¿Hay umbrales elevados o escalones hacia el balcón?

For a wheelchair, aim for a clear door width of about 80 cm and a lift cabin of about 1.0 × 1.25 m. If the host cannot give measurements, ask for photos with a tape measure in view.

Short version in Spanish: ¿Es accesible para silla de ruedas?

Internet speed

English

Is there wifi? What is the connection speed (download and upload)? Is it fibre? Can I work from home and do video calls? Please confirm in writing.

Español

If you work online, ask the host to send a screenshot of a recent speed test.

Before you pay

Check that the host has answered every question in writing, in the chat or by email. If an answer is missing or vague, ask again. If the answers do not match the listing, do not pay.

Frequently asked questions

Can I book a student residence if I am not a student?

Not always. Some residences only take students, and most ask for a semester or academic year. A few offer monthly or summer stays, so ask before you count on one.

When is it hardest to find a bridge room?

September and January are the tightest months. Book earlier then, or keep a hostel private room with a monthly rate as a fallback.

How much notice do I need to give to leave a coliving?

Usually 15 to 30 days. Check the notice period before you pay, because it decides when you can move on.

What deposit should I expect for a short stay?

A one- or two-month deposit is common in practice for seasonal stays. Coliving and residences with services are often treated as service contracts, so read what the contract says about getting it back.

Will I get the same protection as a normal tenant?

No. Seasonal leases for work, study or similar reasons follow your agreement and general civil law, not the residential tenant protections. Read the contract carefully before you sign.