Average room rental costs are up 7%
The cost of renting a room in a shared property has increased by 7% over the last year. This brings the average cost to 331 euros per month, according to a study by idealista. At the same time, the amount of available rooms has reduced by 3.3% which is likely to keep prices rising.
In the city of Barcelona, although rental costs have fallen by 3.4% in the last 12 months, room-rental costs have increased by 0.8%. In Madrid the increase has been more pronounced, rising 6.8%.
Looking at provincial capitals, the biggest increase in the cost of renting a room was seen in Toledo (14.4%), followed by Malaga (11.2%), Murcia (10.7%) and Valencia (9%). Only two capitals saw prices fall: the biggest fall was in Logroño (-1.3%) while in Lleida prices fell by 0.6%.
Barcelona is the city with the most expensive rooms in Spain, with an average of 429 euros per month. They are followed by Madrid (403 euros/month), Palma (402 euros) and San Sebastián (390 euros). Zamora is the most economic city at 150 euros per month, followed by Lugo (156 euros), Cáceres (160) and Ciudad Real (164 euros).
The Home-Sharer Profile
The profile of those who share a home in Spain is similar to last year, except the average age has risen to 31 years: they live in the centre of big cities, they do not smoke, nor do they have pets.
The average age of tenants in a shared apartment varies according to the geographical area. In cities without a large student population the average is over 30 years, as in the case of Alicante (34 years), Palma (33 years), San Sebastian (33 years), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (33 years), Bilbao (32 years old), Vitoria (32 years old), and Barcelona, Malaga, Tarragona, Murcia or Almeria (31 years in all cases). The average age in Madrid, of those who share a flat, is 30 years.
In student-heavy areas the average age of those who are renting a room is lower. Ciudad Real has the lowest average age (25), followed by Jaén, Granada and Córdoba (26 years in all three cases). In Badajoz, Ávila, Salamanca or Seville it is 27 years old.
In 71% of the shared flats, both sexes coexist. However, in 25% of shared properties there are only women, and in 4% only men.
Popular Areas for Sharing
More than half of all shared flats are in the cities of Madrid and Barcelona, since they account for 31.1% and 24.4% of all advertised rooms to rent, respectively. They are followed by Valencia, with 7.6% of the advertised rooms, Seville (5.8%) and Granada (3.7%).
