Finding an apartment in Madrid can be one of the biggest headaches when you first arrive here.  Not only is everyone AND their mother also looking for an apartment at the same time (putting you into a cut-throat competition…don’t be surprised if you get asked back for a second interview.  Cut throat, people!), but there are also a number of things you need to keep in mind when you actually are seeing available apartments.  There is quite possibly nothing worse than dealing with inadequate apartments, back-stabbing and dis-honest landlords, or fishy situations.  In this post, I will tell you exactly what you should look for and consider when finding your apartment here in Madrid, because at the end of the day, you want it to feel like home….or, at the very least, not hate it.

My first piece of advice?  DON’T settle for something that feels off, or wrong.  It WILL feel like everyone is finding apartments and that you’re having no luck, so as soon as an available one comes up, you feel like you have to take it or you’ll never get a place (and end up living on the streets, feeding the stray cats, etc).  DON’T DO IT.  There is no sure-fire way to regret your apartment choice (and possibly lose money and time) than to settle for an apartment that is not right. 

When I first moved to Madrid, I spent my first 9 days in a hotel, during which I saw a lot of apartments that didn’t work out.  (There was one where I was with a group of 6 other people and they had a list of 150 people viewing, the one I saw with no window, the one I saw with the fat, greasy landlord sitting on the sofa in his pajamas, promising that he would be out in ‘just a few months’…and the list goes on).  I did see one that was offered to me, but it was 30 minutes from the center, and I wouldn’t have had a contract, meaning I would have to pay the other girl that lived there instead of paying the landlord.  At first I was like YESSSS an apartment!  But something felt off…and although I was leaning towards just doing it (because I felt desperate), I decided to wait.  So I moved in with a host mom for 3 weeks (yes, I was homeless for a month) and I am SO GLAD I waited because I found the apartment that ended up being home for the next three years   (click the link for a tour).  Don’t settle if it feels wrong.

Things to Look For and Consider When Finding an Apartment in Madrid

1.  Does it have a contract?  I don’t care how nice the apartment is or how nice the roommates and landlord are.  GET A CONTRACT!  It will make your life 1000% times easier in the long-run for filling out paperwork (like your empadronamiento forms), protecting yourself in future confrontations, and protects your landlord, too.  Get a contract and make sure you read it and sign it.
2. Does the landlord seem like a nice person?  You can’t always control this, but it’s no secret that landlords can take huuuuge advantage of us silly Americans who hand over money and then can’t defend ourselves when they refuse to give it back.  If the landlord seems sketchy, don’t do it.  When I found my apartment, I loved how honest Paco (the landlord) seemed.  Of course, you can’t always judge a book by it’s cover, but go with your gut feeling about the person.  Paco was kind, excited to show me the apartment, and attentive to whatever needs or questions I had.  This goes a long way when it comes to them not ripping you off, and when you need something fixed.
3. How are the roommates?  Are you all on the same playing field?  What I mean by that is, are you all equal in terms of your status in the apartment.  I saw a few apartments where either the other roommate owned the place, or they were the one on the lease and you would just pay them each month.  For me, these are both no-go’s.  If someone is significantly older, or has much more ‘power’ than you in the apartment, consider what this will mean when it comes to having people over, making your room feel like home, and not feeling like you are in someone else’s house.  All of my roommates were also English teachers, so it was great.  If you can, try to meet the roommates before signing anything.  Ask them how they like the place, how the landlord is, if there is anything you should know.  Ask if the roommates: work, smoke, like to party, have pets, etc.
4. How much is he asking for fianza (the deposit)?  The deposit should only be one month’s rent.  If they are asking for more, consider your options, but whatever you do- GET A RECEIPT and DO NOT hand over money until you are signing a contract.
5. Consider location.  If your school/ work is very south of Madrid, and you live in the north of Madrid, consider the commute you will have EVERY SINGLE DAY.  This can be a lot of time.  My school was in the south of Madrid, 1 hour door-to-door.  I really wanted to live in the area Lavapiés because it is south of the center (but still in the center), so my commute was as short as it could be.
6. Utilities.  Ideally, you want all utilities to be included.  Your landlord could overcharge you by doing this, but I PROMISE that it will save you a bunch of headaches when it comes to that roommate who ALWAYS leaves the lights on or takes hour long showers.  Everything was included in my apartment- gas, heat, electricity, wifi, and so we never had to deal with splitting things up.  Of course, many apartments are not like this, so be sure to ask what average utilities are like.
7. Wifi.  Is the wifi already there?  Getting wifi on your own can be a pain in the ass.  Try to find a place that already has it (and has a nice, strong connection).
8. Physical things your bedroom should have:  furniture (trust me, you do NOT want to shell out the money for furniture), a window (do yourself a huge favor and make sure there is a window to get light and air), heat (it doesn’t get that cold in Madrid, but it gets plenty cold.  You will be very uncomfortable without heat).
9. Physical things the apartment should have: a stove, a washing machine (good luck finding a dryer), a refrigerator and freezer.

That’s all I have for you!  Finding an apartment in Madrid can be extremely stressful, but you WILL find something!  Be patient, keep your eyes open, and GO WITH YOUR GUT!

Good luck!