In cities across Spain, the housing crisis is reshaping how people live. As rents soar beyond what many can afford, especially in major urban centers and tourist hubs, more and more individuals are turning to a last-resort solution: renting a single room. For some, this means sharing a flat with strangers. For others, it goes further, sharing a single room with children or partners, blurring the lines between privacy and mere survival.
Why Are Room Rentals Booming?
The answer is simple: rent is too expensive for too many people.
With low-income families, young workers, retirees, and migrants priced out of traditional leases, room rentals have become the only viable path to a roof over their heads. And this isn’t just a fringe issue anymore—it’s a growing segment of the housing market.
The 5 Faces of Room Rentals
Room rentals come in several forms in Spain:
- Owner rents out rooms individually in a property.
- Live-in landlords rent out spare rooms while living in the same home.
- Corporate subletting: A company leases a property and sublets the rooms (“rent-to-rent”).
- Tenant sublets to others, with or without legal permission.
- And a newer, more precarious trend: shared rooms, where multiple people rent and live in the same room.
In cities like Madrid and Barcelona, all five types now coexist—often under the radar.
A Market Without Rules
Despite the growing demand, room rentals operate in a legal gray area. There’s no specific national law regulating them. According to Spain’s current Urban Lease Law, renting a room doesn’t even require a written contract.
This legal vacuum has left renters vulnerable, especially those with limited resources or legal knowledge. Meanwhile, landlords are benefiting: room rentals can yield a 9.3% return, compared to 6.1% for traditional rentals.
Catalonia Steps Ahead
While national legislation lags, Catalonia has taken the lead, introducing a new regulation that treats room rentals like full-home leases—subject to the same rent caps and protections. This could become a model for other regions.
According to recent figures:
- Barcelona tops the charts, with average room rents at €600/month.
- Madrid follows closely at €560.
- Nationwide, average room rent is around €420–€600 depending on the source, with demand and supply growing steadily each year.
The Rise in Room Rentals in Spain: A Symptom of a Deeper Problem
Room rentals aren’t just a trend, they’re a symptom. They reveal the widening gap between wages and housing costs, and the failure of policy to keep up with market realities.
For many, sharing a home isn’t a lifestyle choice, it’s the only choice. And until housing becomes more affordable and better regulated, the room-for-rent economy will likely keep expanding, one cramped bedroom at a time.
Stay tuned for more information on rental prices in Spain by visiting our blog and social media.
Want to learn more about the different rental contracts in Spain? Head over to our blog entry here.
