What a parent needs to know before signing.
Choosing where a student will live deserves more than a listing. Here is how we work, in detail.
When a student moves abroad, their accommodation becomes their real home: it is where the year will actually happen. This page answers the questions parents ask us, without evasion.
How do you choose the owners?
We work in two ways. On one hand with partner agencies in our circle, whose properties are sometimes published on the property portals, sometimes not. On the other hand directly with owners who entrust us with their property because they are looking for precisely this type of tenant: students enrolled at a recognised school or university, whose file and profile have been checked beforehand.
It works both ways: these owners agree not to publish their property because they know who will be living in it.
Who signs the lease, and who is responsible?
It depends on the landlord and the situation. Two configurations exist: the adult student signs the lease themselves, with the parents as guarantors; or the parents sign directly in their own name. The arrangement is settled before signature — never discovered on the day.
What are the costs, and where does the deposit go?
The deposit (fianza). It amounts to one month of rent for a standard residential lease, and two months for a lease for use other than main residence — which includes seasonal and medium-term leases, very common for students. This is set by article 36.1 of Ley 29/1994 (LAU). An additional month may be requested as a supplementary guarantee.
This money does not stay with the owner. In Madrid, the landlord is legally required to deposit it with the Agencia de Vivienda Social de the Comunidad de Madrid (the former IVIMA) within thirty working days of signature — a regime organised by Decreto 181/1996 of the Comunidad de Madrid. A late deposit triggers a surcharge payable by the landlord. The public body holds the sum for the whole duration of the lease, then returns it at the end of the contract, less any justified damage or unpaid amounts.
You can ask the Comunidad de Madrid at any time for a certificate confirming that the deposit has been lodged. We explain how.
The fee. For a medium-term contract, the intermediary who presents the property receives one month of rent plus IVA. This amount is stated in writing before anything is undertaken.
What happens if the accommodation is not right on arrival?
The principle is simple: everything is settled before signature. The property is visited, points of detail are clarified, and the lease is read and checked before it is signed. That is the moment to ask questions, and we take the time it needs.
Once the lease is signed, the accommodation is reserved for the whole agreed period and the commitment is firm — unless a defect makes it uninhabitable. We prefer to say this clearly rather than suggest a flexibility that does not exist.
Who can I call, and in which language?
One single contact, from the first message to the day the keys change hands, in English, French or Spanish. +34 654 929 233 — contact@madrideasyliving.com
What each one really involves.
Not the brochure, but the supervision, the real cost and the pace of life.
From first contact to the keys.
The project
School, budget, length of stay, neighbourhood, way of life. Together we define what is a priority and what is not.
The selection
We search within our circle and with our partner agencies, then present the student’s file to the relevant landlords.
The verification
Visit on site or by video call, questions of detail, and a full reading of the lease before any signature.
The signature
Lease signed, deposit paid and then lodged by the landlord with the Comunidad de Madrid, fee settled exactly as announced.
The arrival
Key handover, inventory, practical set-up. We remain reachable afterwards.
Tell us about your project
A first contact, without obligation. We reply personally within 48 hours — or call us on +34 654 929 233.