How to Find an Apartment in Fuengirola Spain: A Guide for Renters
When I moved to Fuengirola, Spain in 2022, I had just over a week to look for a place to live before my job began. During that time, I stayed in an AirBnB, and I hastily searched the web and wandered the local streets looking for a home for the year. Since I didn’t have much information about how to find an apartment in Spain, I felt very stressed during my housing search. Luckily, I found a place within the week, and I moved into my new apartment before beginning work.
Here, I’ve compiled what I’ve learned about the apartment hunt process in Fuengirola, Spain, including where to look, how to find roommates, and questions to ask potential landlords. This information is based on my own experience in Fuengirola.
Table of Contents:
How far in advance should I start looking for housing in Fuengirola, Spain?
Should I secure housing before moving to Spain?
Where can I find information on available rental properties in Spain?
How can I find a roommate in Spain?
What questions should I ask potential landlords about their rental properties in Spain?
What else should I know about renting an apartment in Fuengirola?
How far in advance should I start looking for housing in Fuengirola, Spain?
For Spain as a whole, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, so it’s best to connect virtually with residents in the area you’ll be living to ask about the rental property turnover rate.
That said, in Fuengirola (and in Malaga in general), locals recommended I begin searching for apartments about one to two weeks before my intended move-in date. Often, in the Malaga area, landlords don’t even list their rental properties online until a few weeks before they intend to rent them out.
Also, if you’re planning on moving to the Costa del Sol region of Spain, you should know that the area is defined by heavy tourism in the warm summer months and lower local populations in the colder months. As a result, rents rise in price significantly during the summers, and rents drop in price significantly from October to May. So if like me, you plan to begin renting in October, there’s no use in looking for a place to live before September, because the rents will still have the elevated summer prices.
Should I secure housing before moving to Spain?
You should definitely NOT sign any sort of lease before arriving in Spain and seeing the place you plan to rent in person. There are all sorts of scams that target foreigners, and it will be much easier to avoid these once you’re in the country. Besides, there might be issues with the flat that you won’t notice just from looking at pictures. It’s best to book a hostel, hotel, or AirBnB for your first few days or week in Spain so that you have a place to stay while you tour apartments.
Where can I find information on available rental properties in Fuengirola, Spain?
Idealista, Fotocasa, and Pisos.com are among the most popular websites to search for houses and apartments in Spain. Other websites might be popular in your region of Spain, but these are some of the biggest Spanish home search sites, and these were the sites I used to look for rental properties in Fuengirola.
If you’re using the rental sites above, make sure to reach out to all of the landlords whose properties fit your needs and budget. Some might have limited photos, and although it’s reasonable for that to make you wary, it still might be worth it to tour the place. My apartment was listed without photos of the kitchen or bathroom, and while that made me nervous and skeptical, I still requested a tour. In the end, I discovered that the kitchen or bathroom were just fine, but the landlord just forgot to upload those photos.
You can also find information on available rentals in Fuengirola by visiting local inmobiliarias (real estate agencies). My friends and I found local inmobiliarias simply by walking around town. But it’s important to note that most inmobiliarias are closed during siesta (2pm-5pm) and on weekends, so plan accordingly. Inmobiliarias might also list their properties on the websites above. If you reach out to an agent through one of those websites, you should ask if they have any other properties available with similar characteristics.
Finally, when looking for a place to live in Spain, Facebook groups are your friend. Sometimes people post properties they’re trying to rent on these pages, but you can also use Facebook groups to ask questions about renting in the local area. Some of the most helpful Facebook groups in Fuengirola include Fuengirola Social Group, Fuengirola Friends, and Fuengirola Friendly Social Group.
How can I find a roommate in Spain?
Looking for a roommate in Spain is one task you can start before you arrive. Again, Facebook groups will be very helpful here. Look for groups that mention the town you plan to live in and/or others who share your job.
As an auxiliar de conversación (conversation assistant), who only needed a rental contract for the school year, it made the most sense for me to find a roommate who shared my job. I searched Facebook groups for auxiliares de conversación in Andalucía, and I sent direct messages to people who mentioned that they would be living in Fuengirola. You might also consider posting a few pictures of yourself with a brief description of who you are and what you’re looking for in a flatmate.
You can also use the rental property websites to filter for pisos compartidos (shared flats). That will allow you to look for rooms in apartments that are already partially filled with tenants. If you want to live with Spanish speakers, this could be a good way to find Spanish-speaking roommates, too. If you choose this option, make sure you meet the roommates before signing the contract!
What questions should I ask potential landlords about their rental properties in Spain?
When you tour apartments, there are a few questions that are important to ask potential landlords.
Si alquilo este piso, ¿puedo empadronarme aquí? If I rent this apartment, can I declare this as my legal residence?
If you’re planning on staying in Spain long term, you’ll need to get an empadronamiento to declare legal residency in the country. If you’ll need an empadronamiento, it’s crucial to make sure that the landlord will let you establish your legal residency at that address. As long as they’re offering a legal rental contract, you should be able to get an empadronamiento at that address. For more information about the empadronamiento, read my article here.
¿Cuánto vale el alquiler? How much is the rent?
This one needs no explanation. You need to know if the monthly rent is within your budget.
¿Qué incluye el alquiler? ¿Incluye el agua, la electricidad o el wifi? What does the rent include? Does it include water, electricity, or wifi?
Again, this one goes for rental properties in general. You need to know exactly what is covered by the rent.
¿Cuánto vale la fianza? Y ¿es reembolsable? How much is the security deposit, and is it refundable?
Of course, this is a very important question. And in my experience, security deposits vary widely in Fuengirola. One to two months rent seems to be a common security deposit in Fuengirola. If you go through an inmobiliaria, you will most likely have to pay a non-refundable finder’s fee to the real estate agent, too. It’s crucial that you understand the price of the security deposit and how much of that deposit will be refunded at the end of your contract.
¿Cómo podría pagar el alquiler? How can I pay the rent?
Before signing the contract, it’s important to know how the landlord will want you to pay the rent. It’s most secure for you if they will let you pay by direct bank transfer rather than by cash, so that you will have proof of your payment. However, if you do not yet have a European bank account, you may need to pay the first month’s rent in cash.
¿Todos los aparatos funcionan? Do all of the appliances work?
In addition to asking this question, I’d also recommend testing the appliances while you tour the apartment.
What else should I know about renting an apartment in Fuengirola?
In Fuengirola, many of the rental properties are built for summertime vacationers. This means that some apartments lack common appliances such as ovens. Be sure to make a list of all of the appliances that you want in your flat and double check that the apartment has them when you tour it.
If you want to rent an apartment in Fuengirola for a full year instead of just for the school year, you will likely have to pay higher rent, because rent tends to skyrocket over the summers when the town is flooded with vacationers.
I hope your apartment search goes smoothly! Good luck!
