Your rental contract should be in Spanish or it will not be legally binding. It is suggested to get a translator to translate it for you independent to the owner or agent. You need to know every clause & what you are signing; ignore this advice at your peril!
Fees
If renting direct from the owner this will or should not apply. If renting from an agent ask upfront what the fees will be in total. More misery has been caused once your potential home has been found, moving dates discussed etc. to be told there will be this & that extra to be found for fees.
Agents add a commission into the rent you pay every month, there will be things mentioned such as admin fee, contract fee, finders fee, etc. this is where they make more money from you. All is negotiable so barter on the rent & certainly on the fees, times are hard & there are plenty of others willing to lower their prices.
Rent & Deposit
You can expect to pay your rent in advance and therefore the first month’s rent will be payable when you take possession. You will also be asked to pay a deposit, which will be held against any possible damage or debt incurred during your tenancy. If all is well when you leave, then the deposit should be refundable. You should request this in writing ie: be part of your rental contract. Get receipts both for your deposit and for all rental payments made. The deposit may be called a deposit, a bond, or in Spanish, fianza.
A good tip would be, the day you take possession of the property to protect yourself against future problems, take photographs of every room, furniture, terrace/garden along with anything else you feel could be a problem later, check everything is working in the property, check what is on the inventory is actually there & in the condition stated, again take pictures as a record of any existing damage to furniture and fittings and report it. Don’t let them have an excuse for not giving your deposit back. You will be glad you did.
Rental Terms
The time of your contract will usually be for a minimum of three months & a maximum of 12 months, anything longer than that gives tenants many more rights in Spain, so therefore it is uncommon to have longer, the norm would be to renew your contract once it is up.
Finally, you should not expect to pay more than the equivalent of one month’s rent as a deposit. Some agents will ask for two months, but if you are prepared to consider this, make very sure that all the money is a refundable deposit. Some agents charge an administration or contract fee, and it is important to determine the nature of all monies handed over, and whether or not they are refundable. This is because, unfortunately, it is not unknown for agents to charge such a fee, whether called a finder’s fee, or an administration or contract fee, and pass this off as a deposit. The tenant only finds out it is not a deposit when they leave and discover that the money is not refundable.
Evidently, if you discover this has been attempted in your case, and that an agent has been dishonest before you have even signed the contract, the best advice would be to give such an agent a very wide berth.
Source - Cancasa
Fees
If renting direct from the owner this will or should not apply. If renting from an agent ask upfront what the fees will be in total. More misery has been caused once your potential home has been found, moving dates discussed etc. to be told there will be this & that extra to be found for fees.
Agents add a commission into the rent you pay every month, there will be things mentioned such as admin fee, contract fee, finders fee, etc. this is where they make more money from you. All is negotiable so barter on the rent & certainly on the fees, times are hard & there are plenty of others willing to lower their prices.
Rent & Deposit
You can expect to pay your rent in advance and therefore the first month’s rent will be payable when you take possession. You will also be asked to pay a deposit, which will be held against any possible damage or debt incurred during your tenancy. If all is well when you leave, then the deposit should be refundable. You should request this in writing ie: be part of your rental contract. Get receipts both for your deposit and for all rental payments made. The deposit may be called a deposit, a bond, or in Spanish, fianza.
A good tip would be, the day you take possession of the property to protect yourself against future problems, take photographs of every room, furniture, terrace/garden along with anything else you feel could be a problem later, check everything is working in the property, check what is on the inventory is actually there & in the condition stated, again take pictures as a record of any existing damage to furniture and fittings and report it. Don’t let them have an excuse for not giving your deposit back. You will be glad you did.
Rental Terms
The time of your contract will usually be for a minimum of three months & a maximum of 12 months, anything longer than that gives tenants many more rights in Spain, so therefore it is uncommon to have longer, the norm would be to renew your contract once it is up.
Finally, you should not expect to pay more than the equivalent of one month’s rent as a deposit. Some agents will ask for two months, but if you are prepared to consider this, make very sure that all the money is a refundable deposit. Some agents charge an administration or contract fee, and it is important to determine the nature of all monies handed over, and whether or not they are refundable. This is because, unfortunately, it is not unknown for agents to charge such a fee, whether called a finder’s fee, or an administration or contract fee, and pass this off as a deposit. The tenant only finds out it is not a deposit when they leave and discover that the money is not refundable.
Evidently, if you discover this has been attempted in your case, and that an agent has been dishonest before you have even signed the contract, the best advice would be to give such an agent a very wide berth.
Source - Cancasa
