Long-term rental agencies in Barcelona
Long term rentals Barcelona come from three kinds of business. Traditional agencies list flats for private landlords and handle viewings and the contract. Furnished-flat operators own or lease whole buildings and rent units by the month. Property managers look after a landlord's flat and often find the tenant too.
In the ranked lists above you will see all three, because Google files them under similar categories. Bcn Advisors, Hoffmann Real Estate and Property Management Barcelona & Bonell Properties list "Real estate agency" as a Google category. Archie Living and Llogo BCN appear as furnished-apartment or serviced-accommodation providers. The first question to ask is which type you are dealing with, because it changes the contract, the fees and who you call when the boiler breaks.
Long term rentals in Barcelona: which contract are you signing?
A standard housing lease has a freely agreed length, but if you agree less than five years it renews by yearly terms until it reaches five (seven if the landlord is a company), unless you tell the landlord at least 30 days before it ends that you will leave. That is article 9 of the LAU. It is the contract most unfurnished long term rentals in Barcelona use.
The law also has a separate category of temporary housing lease. The consolidated LAU now defines it as a lease for someone who is temporarily away from their habitual home for a justified, provable reason. Because this changed in October 2026, we will not summarise the details: read the current wording on the BOE page above, and ask any provider offering a "seasonal" contract what reason it will write into yours.
| Type |
Typical length |
Who it suits |
Ask about |
| Standard housing lease |
1 year or more, extends to 5 |
Residents staying long |
Rent update clause, who lodges the deposit |
| Temporary / mid-term lease |
Weeks to under a year |
Relocating for a project, studies, a house move |
The stated reason for the stay, deposit cap |
| Furnished corporate rental |
Monthly |
Employees on assignment, newcomers |
Bills included, cleaning, notice period |
| Room in a shared flat |
Flexible |
Singles on a budget |
See coliving in Barcelona |
Monthly and furnished rentals in Barcelona
Furnished apartments in Barcelona suit the first months after you arrive, when you do not yet have a bank account history, a Spanish employment contract or a registered address. Providers such as Archie Living, Llogo BCN and Upturn Apartments are categorised by Google as furnished or serviced apartments or apartment rental agencies. Monthly rentals cost more per month than an unfurnished lease, in exchange for flexibility and included utilities.
Compare two things before you book. First, what the single monthly price covers (bills, Wi-Fi, cleaning, linen). Second, how many days' notice you must give and whether the deposit is returned in full. If you plan to stay longer than a year, ask whether the provider will convert the contract into a standard lease, which is often cheaper over time.
Who pays the agency fee on a Barcelona rental?
The landlord pays. Article 20.2 of the LAU states that estate-agency and contract-formalisation costs cannot be charged to the tenant, directly or indirectly, under any heading. It defines them as any cost of services provided to prepare, formalise, manage, amend or renew the lease. Any other non-essential service can be charged only if you requested it in writing after being told it was optional and what it costs.
In practice this means a "service fee", "admin fee" or "key fee" asked of the tenant for an ordinary housing lease deserves a polite refusal and a request for the legal basis. Fees on furnished or temporary lets are a grey area, so ask for the full cost breakdown in writing before paying anything.
How does the deposit work, and what documents do I need?
The legal deposit is one month's rent for a housing lease (LAU article 36). On top of it the parties may agree an additional guarantee, such as a bank guarantee or extra months. For contracts of up to five years it cannot exceed two months' rent, and for temporary leases it cannot exceed one month. The landlord cannot require you to buy rent-default insurance.
In Catalonia the landlord must deposit the fianza with INCASÒL within two months of signing and give you proof. Ask for the receipt; it is your protection at the end of the lease.
Landlords and agencies usually ask for:
- passport or NIE (see how to get an NIE in Barcelona);
- proof of income, typically recent payslips or an employment contract;
- a bank statement or a previous landlord reference;
- for newcomers without income history, a guarantor or an extra guarantee, which is legal only within the limits above.
Our shortlist
If we were choosing from the ranked list, we would start here:
- Most reviewed full-service agency: LOCA BARCELONA, 4.8 stars from 3,346 reviews, listed by Google as a real estate and apartment rental agency.
- Best-rated of the large agencies: Bcn Advisors, 4.9 stars from 417 reviews, in the Dreta de l'Eixample.
- Furnished building to compare: Archie Living, 4.9 stars from 134 reviews, categorised as a furnished apartment building.
- If you want Poblenou: Property Management Barcelona & Bonell Properties in the Vila Olímpica, 5 stars from 71 reviews, which also appears under property management.
- Large volume of reviews, open seven days a week: Stay Unique, 4.7 stars from 3,674 reviews.
Ratings tell you about service, not about whether a particular flat is a good deal. Use them to decide who to talk to first.
What are the red flags when renting in Barcelona?
The classic scam is a flat advertised far below market that "the owner abroad" will rent once you transfer a deposit. Stop if you cannot visit in person or on a live video call, if the person cannot show a title or authorisation, or if you are told to pay in cash or to a personal foreign account.
Other warning signs: no written contract before payment, a contract that does not name the landlord with an ID number, a request to pay the agency a fee on a standard housing lease, and no mention of where the deposit is lodged. Registering at the address is also part of settling in; the city explains the procedure on its padró registration page.
Where in Barcelona are rental agencies concentrated?
Of the 226 businesses on this page, 122 are in Eixample and 48 in Ciutat Vella, followed by Sarrià-Sant Gervasi with 23, Sant Martí with 16 and Gràcia with 10. See the Eixample and Ciutat Vella pages for every property service there. If you are still choosing an area, read our best neighbourhoods in Barcelona guide, and for the full renting journey start with renting in Barcelona.
Next step
Tell us your budget, the area and whether you need the flat furnished through the form on this site, and we will match you with two or three rental agencies from the directory.