Spain is experiencing a huge housing crisis for years for which no solution has been found at the moment. The autonomous communities and the central government are fighting with the problem in its own way, trying to eliminate tourist floors illegal while Pockets are filled.
One of the big problems, if not the greatest, is the offer. Little is built, but Where there is more pricing up. Burned several stages of the crisis, the (antepen) last final boss is the growth of room rental.
What’s happening. According to the last Idealist reportthe offer of rental rooms has grown 24% in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the same period of the previous year. At that time, prices have risen 5% on average throughout the territory, something that according to the real estate portal is a low figure that It is explained with the great growth of the offer. That is, if not grown so much, the price increase would be much higher.
In 30 provincial capitals where we appreciate price increases, 19 have more demand than supply. In two out of three capitals where the price rises, the demand grows more than the supply, so there is a certain correlation and a message to the market: there is interest in more room rental.
Why it is important. Because renting a room It costs the same as whole floors 10 years ago. In Madrid or Barcelona they already exceed 500 euros, and in Valencia, Málaga, Palma, Pamplona or San Sebastián, the 400 euros, and in several cases in a comfortable way. According to idealist data, the average cost of the rooms is already 420 euros.
It is also relevant because the rental model per room is the most chosen by students and young people for their lowest price. The situation drowns them in a labor market where the Youth unemployment continues at record levels in the European Union and where Having a job no longer implies getting out of poverty.
It is a figure similar to the one that the OCU establishes today as the monthly food spending of a couple. On the other hand, idealist experts establish in a 30% the maximum effort rate On the salary we should do when renting: the worrying thing is that the average price per room, which not for the complete house, already represents 32% of the minimum wage (Net, in 12 payments).
Profitability as great explanation. The growing room rental trend has to do with the potential offered by the market for investors: A Fotocasa report At the end of 2024, the gross return of this rental modality was established by 9.3%, compared to 6.1% of a traditional three rooms and 80 square meters. In summary: a 34% higher profitability.
The places where room offer grows most. The cities that have more fired figures are Ciudad Real (88%), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (76%), Ceuta (74%), Palma (71%) and Valencia (70%). On the other hand, the large markets also have very bulky figures: Malaga (45%), Bilbao (39%), Barcelona (30%), Madrid (19%), San Sebastián (15%) and Alicante (6%).
A Contra highlights Seville, the only major market where the room offer has been reduced (5%). Córdoba (-26%), Logroño (-21%), Granada (-11%), Castellón de la Plana (-11%), Badajoz (-3%), Cádiz (-3%) and Oviedo (-2%).
Where the price grows more. Barcelona is the city with the most expensive room rentals in Spain with 570 euros on average. They are followed by Madrid (527 euros), San Sebastián (475 euros), Palma (450 euros), Malaga and Pamplona (425 euros in both cases). However, where the price grows the price since last year is in Zamora (18%), followed by Segovia (16%), Palencia (15%), Jaén, Lugo and Ciudad Real (14%in the 3 cases). In Palma, Ceuta, Cáceres and Castellón de la Plana is where the cost for a room has fallen most.
Image | Erwan Hesry in Unspash
In Xataka | Spain will need to build more homes, but it has collided with a wall: there are no professionals to do them
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings