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Ask your landlord for a rent reduction
05 September 2010 @ 13:22

If you've been renting the same place for over a year, the chances are that you are now paying too much rent. At least this is my experience on the Costa del Sol due to the massive oversupply of property on the market. I'm guessing this is a similar situtation throughout Spain, especially the other costa areas.. Over the course of the 2 years I've been in Spain, rents have plummeted.

When we first arrived, a nice 2 bed appartment would cost 600-800 euros per month to rent long term. You can now rent a beach side appartment where we are for 400 euros per month. We started renting a 3 bed town house 18 months slightly inland, for 550 per month. It seemed cheap at the time, but with rents heading downwards over that period, it seemed like too much. There is also a town house opposite us up for rent for 500 per month.

Like many in Spain, we have also experienced a drop in our income due to the economic situation here. Our rental contract was due for renewal this month, so we decided to ask our landlord if he would consider reducing the rent and mentioned there was another identical property up for rent for 500 on our urbanizacion. He agreed to reduce the rent from 550 to 500. So job done!! I love deflation!!

It is definitely worth asking your landlord about a rent reduction. If you don't ask, you don't get. If he/she refuses, then there are plenty of other properties out there on the market, probably cheaper than what you're paying.

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6 Comments

mike T said:
06 September 2010 @ 12:28

Whilst I don't doubt that you can rent a Beach-side apartment down Manilva way for 400 euros, it would be a near Miracle to rent a decent property in east Marbella between say, Cabopino and Rio Real. Rents have dropped but the outlook may change in the coming years once the banks have completed repossessions from Developers and Non paying owners and sell them on at Auction to owners who are more likely to use their properties?

500 euros is the basement figure where we live above Elviria near Marbella and there are very few around at that figure where Community fees plus Council charges can add up to 350 euros a month if you haven't got a mortgage debt to pay?

It's a Renters market at the moment along the Spanish Costa's but lowers rents may not be around forever. Me Thinks?

Spain Money Saving said:
06 September 2010 @ 13:13

Mike T,
I expect it to be a renters market for at least the next 5 years, probably longer as there is such a massive oversupply of property.
I'm not sure why you mention community fees and IBI in relation to renting? That's the landlord's responsibility, not the tenant's.

Spain Money Saving said:
06 September 2010 @ 13:14

Spain is also getting bogged down with deflation as well. Just look at the 5% pay cut the entire public sector had to take recently. That's not the sort of backdrop for rising rents is it?

Tenerife property said:
18 September 2010 @ 01:04

Definitely the case here in the South of Tenerife. You can rent a nice one bedroom apartment for 300€ now and a two bed for 400€ with bills included up to 50€.

Still a lot of stubborn landlords with "Alquiler" signs in the window who refuse to move with the market - their loss!

David H said:
04 January 2011 @ 16:51

I,m thinking of renting in C D Sol in the near future, what is included, or should be included in the rental price?, and whatother things should you expect to pay on top of the rent

Spain Money Saving said:
04 January 2011 @ 22:21

David H,
Community fees and council tax are usually included in the price. If they aren't, then I would look elsewhere. There are some desperate landlords who will include all bills (water, electricity) in the price.