Ahhh….how to find a place to live in Spain. It’s one of the biggest fears new language assistants have — and it’s completely understandable. Where you live can have a huge impact on your time in Spain! If you don’t speak Spanish, you’ll also be working around a language barrier, contracts, registration, and all sorts of things!
I’m going to break down the websites and information that helped me. Once you receive your placement, I would also recommend searching something like “how to find a place to live in X (your city).” You’ll notice that it’s easier in some places than others. I’m looking at you, Madrid.
How To Find a Place To Live in Spain as a Language Assistant
The best place to start looking for a flat as a NALCAP language assistant is online. Here are some websites to get you started.
What websites should you use to find a place to live in Spain?
Idealista
Idealista is a great starting point and is actually where I found my flat. Once I knew my school location, I was able to take a look at what was available for rent and where. The best part about this is that you can get an idea of pricing. Things may be a little higher in summer, but you can flag the locations you like and they may or may not be available when you arrive. Either way, Idealista has tons of listings in comparison to some other sites. I really like how you can search by neighborhood as well.
Milanuncios
Milanuncios is another option. It’s a website with classified ads, so it’s not a website dedicated to helping you rent or buy property like Idealista is. I personally didn’t find it as helpful, but I lived in a smaller city. If you’re in a larger city, you’ll likely find more options here.
How to find a place to live in Spain on Facebook
Facebook Language Assistant Groups
Facebook can also be helpful and there are several Facebook groups for NALCAP participants. Language assistants also come through other programs, so I would recommend searching something like “Auxiliares de Conversación” to find groups of other people.
You can ask housing questions, use the search bar to find answers to previous questions, find people you may want to live with, let people know you’re looking, etc. There are also Aux groups for the various communities, which is extra helpful when house hunting.
Expat Facebook Groups
I would also recommend searching something like “Expats in… (your city).” You may find some English speakers who have an idea of what’s available or can make some recommendations about areas to look.
How to find a place to live in Spain from your school
One way to try and avoid the online hunt is through your school contacts. When you receive a placement, it should have contact information on it. You can reach out to the director to see if they have any recommendations for areas to live in. You can also ask them to connect you with the previous language assistant who may have some knowledge or tips.
If you start school without a place to live, you can also ask other teachers. My school has a bulletin board and I noticed a few ads for available rooms when I arrived.
What should I consider when looking for a flat in Spain?
Below are some questions you can consider before even arriving in Spain. It will help to be honest with yourself about what you want so you have the best chance of getting that.
- What do I want to spend?
- Is it more important for me to walk to school or to be near nightlife, shopping, etc.?
- How many roommates can I handle? Some places have up to 6 people!
- Do I want a non-smoking flat?
- Can I live with others’ pets?
- How do I do with noise?
- Am I okay living with the person I am renting from?
- Am I okay living with people older/younger than me?
- Do I want to live with other language assistants, or locals?
What kind of questions should I ask when viewing flats in Spain?
MOST IMPORTANT: Before you even look at a flat, you should know if you are able to sign a contract. As a language assistant, you have to register at your address with the town hall. You will need to take your signed contract to do this.
Here are some other helpful questions. They may seem silly now, but if you end up with a bunch of party animals, no Wifi for a month, and a dirty flat…you’ll think differently.
- Does the flat have heat and/or AC?
- Are gastos (bills like electric and water) included?
- Does it already have Wifi?
- Are there any rules about visitors, noise, etc.?
- How do you handle cleaning?
- What is your schedule like?
As I said earlier, you may not have a ton of options depending on your location. You might have to take what you can find! That said, being prepared and doing a little research can go a long way.
How to find a place to live in Spain if you don’t speak Spanish
This can be the most nerve-wracking part of the process if you don’t speak Spanish, but have no fear. There are ways!
If you find something via Facebook, of course you can use an online translator to just translate what you want to say and paste the text in Spanish. However, with sites like Idealista, people are receiving requests via the message function on the site all the time. That’s why I recommend calling and attempting whatever form of broken Spanish you can get out of your mouth. You can use a script like this to get you by.
Note: This is the exact script I used to get my flat! I used Google translate.
Hello, I’m sorry my Spanish is bad. I’m an English teacher and I would like to know if your flat is still available. Can I come see it?
Hola, lo siento, mi español es malo. Soy profesora de inglés y me gustaría saber si tu piso sigue disponible. ¿Puedo ir a verlo?
To my surprise, my flatmate actually said, “I can speak in English if you want.” But if she hadn’t, she would have likely let me know if it was still available or not, and then we would have discussed times to visit. That’s what happened with the few other people I called, but ultimately didn’t visit.
If you’re not comfortable calling at all, message the person who is renting the place via WhatsApp (unless the ad says not to). That way you can use an online translator to write out exactly what you want to say. You can also translate their responses.
Other tips for finding a place to live in Spain
- Learn some basic words ahead of time, especially dates, times, thank you, etc. to make your visits easier
- Don’t just take the first flat you see unless you are incredibly desperate – your living situation can really make or break your year
That’s all I’ve got! Happy hunting!
-Casey
