internsflyabroad.govt
Nov 11, 20202 min
You have made the decision to do an internship in Barcelona, Spain, but now its time to think about your accommodation.
Finding a housing in Barcelona is actually not so easy, so we will try to help you and give you some advices. There are some factors you should consider before booking your apartment!
Barcelona offers multiple options for student accommodation, depending on your needs. So first, you should decide what do you prefer, for instance, halls of residence, apartments, rooms in shared flats, accommodation with families, youth hostels, etc.
If you want to live with fellow students from around the world and enjoy the freedom of living in an independent apartment in Barcelona below are some recommendations for long-term rental in Barcelona. Some of the rental websites listed are specialized in short-term accommodation, but they're listed here because they also offer flats for a long-term and have monthly rentals.
Most apartments in Barcelona are rented through an agency ("inmobiliaria"), however renting from the owner generally saves tenants a lot of money in agency fees. Both agencies and owners usually require the first month’s rent plus a deposit in advance. Most agencies also charge an additional month’s rent as their fee. Other deposits may also be required, but never more than three months’ rent. Remember that when looking for an apartment, it is important to clearly understand the terms and conditions of the rental agreement. If you do not speak Spanish, have a native speaker accompany you. Do not sign anything until the conditions of your lease are understood by both you and your landlord.
Renting rooms in shared flats is very common in Barcelona because many young people in cannot afford their own flat. For young foreigners, who come to Barcelona to work or study, renting a room in a shared flat is an easy, fast and cheap solution. The contract for a room in a shared flat will normally be a quite informal agreement with the flat owner. The monthly rent is always paid in advance. The normal rental room deposit is 1 months rent - sometimes half a month only. So when you move in, you would normally have to pay 2 months rent and you will get the deposit amount back when you vacate the room assuming that you leave the room in the same condition as it was when you moved in. Rented rooms are almost always furnished. The furnished rooms are usually quite spartan, but you can always visit one of the three IKEA stores to buy extra things.
If you live in a shared flat you often share it with 2-4 other tenants. There is a good chance some of them are native Spanish speakers either from Spain or Latin America, which will help you practice Spanish. Sharing with other tenants means your roommates can also help you with lots of other practical things in Barcelona.