Last Updated on March 18, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi
Question
Can anyone tell me if it’s a common procedure that real estate agents charge a month of rent as their commission when renting a place in Spain? It seems quite high and it also seems odd that it’s charged to the rent taker, instead of the owner of the place?
Answers
These are the answers of some Facebook group members:
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Start the Moving to Spain Hub →“That’s a normal and usual procedure. Sometimes it’s half half between the owner and the renter but it’s rare as they take advantage of the fact that there are not a lot of offers.”
“Yes, that’s the way here. A month’s rent as the agency fee that you don’t get back. Plus a month’s rent in advance plus the deposit- equal to the month’s rent – which you will only get back after 10 days after you leave as it’s with the town hall (that is a legal requirement) It’s crazy expensive here.”
“It is “normal”, as it is for Spaniards not to go through agencies for rentals and deal straight with the owner”
“you have a choice dont pay and find your own apartment. The agent has done work and marketed the property. 1 month is not a lot.”
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Explore Cities →“I didn’t pay. Yes it reduced my options but I only went to privately owned landlords. It was just insulting that I did the search, arranged a meeting and for opening the doors I paid circa 600 euros. get out of here. If you are in a hurry or desperate- yes the only way is this way. If you got a month, download whatsapp for the laptop and copy paste requests via idealista , as 90% of the time states the fees. If it does not take time to waste if it doesn’t ASK, as often they assume you would expect it. I am renting from a lovely Spaniard. No fees.”
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