Finding a rental property in Spain has turned into a competition among dozens, and in some areas, hundreds of people. Each property listed receives an average of 133 interested parties within its first ten days on the market, a figure that skyrockets to 401 in Barcelona.
This is revealed by the Rental Barometer for the third quarter of 2026, prepared by the Rental Observatory, supported by the Foundation for Safe Rental, which warns about the ongoing shortage of housing and high prices.
Although the national average has slightly decreased from the 143 inquiries in the previous quarter, it remains almost nine times above the 15 contacts per property that the organization considers typical of a balanced market.
The report warns that this reduction does not necessarily mean that it will be easier to find housing. Some interested individuals may be choosing to rent rooms, look in more affordable municipalities, or temporarily abandon their search due to a lack of affordable options.
Barcelona tops the list of provinces with the highest competition, with 401 individuals interested in housing, followed by Vizcaya (179), Balearic Islands (159), Álava (157), Guipúzcoa (142), Zaragoza (133), and Madrid (120). Málaga also exceeds one hundred, with 101 people interested in the advertisement.
For newly arrived Cubans in Spain, the competition for housing can become even more complicated when they lack recent pay stubs, job stability, or guarantors, which are common requirements in many rental contracts.
The Cuban community reached approximately 252,000 residents in Spain in 2025, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics. Many newcomers must face setup costs while searching for jobs and housing.
The difficulties have already been highlighted by emigrants from the island. In July, a Cuban woman publicly denounced how difficult it had become to make ends meet in Spain, in a testimony about the high cost of living.
Although the barometer does not break down rental demand by nationality, its figures help to gauge the competition faced by those looking to settle in the country.
In addition to the housing shortage, there is the issue of price. The average rent reached 1,214 euros per month in Spain during the third quarter of 2026, an increase of 2.27% compared to the same period the previous year.
The Balearic Islands record the highest incomes, with 1,681 euros per month, followed by Barcelona (1,641 euros) and Madrid (1,639 euros).
In contrast, provinces such as Teruel (€564), Jaén (€595), Badajoz (€610), and León (€676) have lower average rents, although there are also differences in job opportunities and available services.
The Observatory projects that the supply of rental homes will decrease to 676,215 properties by 2026, which is about 7,705 fewer than at the end of 2025, representing a decline of 1.13%
The pressure is particularly high in Catalonia, where the report forecasts a significant decrease in supply, while in the Community of Madrid, a slight increase is anticipated.
The Observatory associates part of the decrease with regulatory changes and the legal uncertainty that, in its view, affects property owners, although the report does not demonstrate that these measures are the primary cause of the contraction.
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