# Help needed finding a property!!!



## Thetwizells (Jun 11, 2013)

Hi,my husband and I are experiencing great difficulties in finding a long term property in the torrevieja area and require an 11 month contract with a possibility of renewing, but it appears that every agent we contact will only rent during the winter period. This is so frustrating for us as we want to relocate to Spain in October 2013 but we will be required to leave the property in May 2014 so the property can be let to holidaymakers for increased prices! Can you suggest where we may find something? The agents I have contacted so far have been far from helpful, which surprises me during this current financial climate! Please help we are desperate! We cannot even arrange the move until we have found something! We do have 3 small dogs that appears to be a stumbling back but this is non-negotiable! Any help will be fantastic!


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

This is one of the top sites in Spain for rental and sale property and can be viewed in English:

homes for rent cheap in torrevieja, alicante — idealista.com


You can change the search criteria according to your requirements. I had it set to show entries in ascending price order (hence 'cheap'!).


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## Thetwizells (Jun 11, 2013)

Thank you! I will look now


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Thetwizells said:


> Hi,my husband and I are experiencing great difficulties in finding a long term property in the torrevieja area and require an 11 month contract with a possibility of renewing, but it appears that every agent we contact will only rent during the winter period. This is so frustrating for us as we want to relocate to Spain in October 2013 but we will be required to leave the property in May 2014 so the property can be let to holidaymakers for increased prices! Can you suggest where we may find something? The agents I have contacted so far have been far from helpful, which surprises me during this current financial climate! Please help we are desperate! We cannot even arrange the move until we have found something! We do have 3 small dogs that appears to be a stumbling back but this is non-negotiable! Any help will be fantastic!


Why an 11 month contract? They are not valid!

Simply sign a NORMAL contract (in Spanish) but make sure that it has a one-month notice clause. It doesn't really need this as the law states that you only have to give one months notice anyway.

There are a number of suggestions in the FAQ section of this site, but a couple more suggestions are;

fotocasa - pisos alquiler, venta pisos, casas madrid barcelona and
Pisos en alquiler en España, Madrid y Barcelona - Enalquiler.com

Just bear in mind that agents don't tend to answer emails so perhaps 'phoning is the best option but you probably will have to speak Spanish.


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## Aron (Apr 30, 2013)

Thetwizells said:


> Hi,my husband and I are experiencing great difficulties in finding a long term property in the torrevieja area and require an 11 month contract with a possibility of renewing, but it appears that every agent we contact will only rent during the winter period. This is so frustrating for us as we want to relocate to Spain in October 2013 but we will be required to leave the property in May 2014 so the property can be let to holidaymakers for increased prices! Can you suggest where we may find something? The agents I have contacted so far have been far from helpful, which surprises me during this current financial climate! Please help we are desperate! We cannot even arrange the move until we have found something! We do have 3 small dogs that appears to be a stumbling back but this is non-negotiable! Any help will be fantastic!


I don't live in that area, I live near Malaga. Houses here are being let by expats who can't sell their houses. You could rent a house here for as long as you want it. Some people are only too pleased to get rental clients.
It's okay saying you can rent property out for more money in summer, but having someone there all year is a guaranteed income.


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## Thetwizells (Jun 11, 2013)

Hi Aron, thanks for your help, we are quite flexible about location so we may consider Malaga as another option. Do you suggest agencies or direct with owners? I just need contact options, very helpful thank you


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Look in the FAQ's!!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Madliz said:


> This is one of the top sites in Spain for rental and sale property and can be viewed in English:
> 
> homes for rent cheap in torrevieja, alicante — idealista.com
> 
> ...





snikpoh said:


> Why an 11 month contract? They are not valid!
> 
> Simply sign a NORMAL contract (in Spanish) but make sure that it has a one-month notice clause. It doesn't really need this as the law states that you only have to give one months notice anyway.
> 
> ...





Pesky Wesky said:


> Look in the FAQ's!!



lots of info about renting on our FAQs sticky thread 

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...-living-spain/2725-faqs-lots-useful-info.html


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## ScottJaniceKyleErinFreya (Jan 11, 2013)

Thetwizells said:


> Hi,my husband and I are experiencing great difficulties in finding a long term property in the torrevieja area and require an 11 month contract with a possibility of renewing, but it appears that every agent we contact will only rent during the winter period. This is so frustrating for us as we want to relocate to Spain in October 2013 but we will be required to leave the property in May 2014 so the property can be let to holidaymakers for increased prices! Can you suggest where we may find something? The agents I have contacted so far have been far from helpful, which surprises me during this current financial climate! Please help we are desperate! We cannot even arrange the move until we have found something! We do have 3 small dogs that appears to be a stumbling back but this is non-negotiable! Any help will be fantastic!


Its true, Landlords in the summer can make per week what they would normally make per month.
We had a similar problem, as with the notice period we have in this house, we cant move in to our new place until July, So it took some persuading, but we managed to get it sorted.
Regarding the dogs, when we where first looking for houses, our agent told us that the dog would be a problem as landlords usualy dont accept pets, but again we found somewhere, and it seems every second house in Spain has a dog, I really dont think your dogs will cause you a problem.

Good luck


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## Wellington10 (Jan 12, 2013)

I think the reason you can only have a 11 month contact is that IF you sign it for more than 11 months it give you more rights to the property !!! Thats why all contracts are either 6 or 11 months !!!

Good Luck with your move, you will have no trouble getting your dream house 1,000's out there !!!!


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## Thetwizells (Jun 11, 2013)

Thanks so much I have been re-assured!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Wellington10 said:


> I think the reason you can only have a 11 month contact is that IF you sign it for more than 11 months it give you more rights to the property !!! Thats why all contracts are either 6 or 11 months !!!
> 
> Good Luck with your move, you will have no trouble getting your dream house 1,000's out there !!!!


it doesn't work like that


if it's your primary or only residence here in Spain then you have full tenants rights under the LAU from day one............. regardless of what the contract might say (unless the contract _specifically _states that it overrides the LAU)


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## Wellington10 (Jan 12, 2013)

Well once again this is the info I have been given by rental agents both Spanish & British !!! 
Signed all paperwork in laywers office as well.....


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Wellington10 said:


> Well once again this is the info I have been given by rental agents both Spanish & British !!!
> Signed all paperwork in laywers office as well.....



well the lawyer would only be concerned with what's actually on the contract - I don't know many people who would go to the expense of a lawyer for a rental contract though - a gestor, maybe.....

rental agents will very often tell you one thing & the owner another - I've been the 'victim' of these practices myself - & if I hadn't later got to know the owner of a property I used to rent, neither of us would have ever known just how much we'd been lied to

the LAU is very clear - there's a link to it in our FAQs thread if you want a read....


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Wellington10 said:


> Well once again this is the info I have been given by rental agents both Spanish & British !!!
> Signed all paperwork in laywers office as well.....


The reason some agents do it is so that they can 'grab' a finders fee, administration fee or a fee for just redoing the contract.


As a landlord, I can assure you that you have been misinformed.


Anything less than a 6 month contract is considered a holiday-let. Over that is a long term rental - there's no more to it than that.

A common misconception is that if you sign a contract for longer than 11 months then one of the parties has more rights - as Xabia says, this is simply NOT true. The LAU (law) prevails every time.


By-the-way, what would a British agent know about rental laws in Spain?


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## Wellington10 (Jan 12, 2013)

I have spoken to the rental agent we have for our Estepona Apartment and the tenant's are looking to stay a very long time ( last apartment they had was for 6 years !!), still can only sign a contact for 11 months !!! 
Will see what happens in the future..... all rental income goes through the books via my accountant !!!!


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Wellington10 said:


> I have spoken to the rental agent we have for our Estepona Apartment and the tenant's are looking to stay a very long time ( last apartment they had was for 6 years !!), still can only sign a contact for 11 months !!!
> Will see what happens in the future..... all rental income goes through the books via my accountant !!!!


If they signed a 'normal, legal' contract, then it would NOT need renewing every 11 months and this would save everyone a LOT of money.


... but not the agent of course who's simply raking it in!


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## Wellington10 (Jan 12, 2013)

The agreement with the estate agent renting my apartment is no renewal charge ... he had a one of small payment and thats it !!!
Maybe I was lucky to find a nice rental agent !!!!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Wellington10 said:


> The agreement with the estate agent renting my apartment is no renewal charge ... he had a one of small payment and thats it !!!
> Maybe I was lucky to find a nice rental agent !!!!


why on earth, if they are wanting to stay a long time, & you are happy with that, would you not just use a proper rental contract :confused2:


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## Wellington10 (Jan 12, 2013)

it is a proper rental contract !!! 

its not a holiday contract but a proper long term(11 month) contract renewable for as long as they want it !!!

I also paid for the contract to be read by independent lawyer .

We are more than happy for them to live as long as they want the apartment for.. they are perfect tenants.... we have no intention of using or selling it !!!

All I can say is I am happy with the situation and so are my tenants !!!!


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Wellington10 said:


> it is a proper rental contract !!!
> 
> its not a holiday contract but a proper long term(11 month) contract renewable for as long as they want it !!!
> 
> ...


I think it's great that you have such a good tenant and such a good agent.

All we are trying to do is to make you aware that the (11 month) contract is almost meaningless. At least, as far as the 11 months go! 

Not that you need to, but if you were to ask a (Spanish) lawyer about the differences between your contract and a 'real' one, I think you might be surprised.

Top 10 rental mistakes - see point 5 under landlord section.


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## Wellington10 (Jan 12, 2013)

My rental agent, lawyer & accountant are all Spainish..... My lawyer & accountant I have know for over 13years and I trust them 101%......

I have dealt with so called British Professional and have not been impressed !!!!

I have been in Spain on and off for the past 13 years.... been 75% of the time in Spain for the last 3 years.... all my close fronds are Spanish and feel very blessed to have them, they are always there with advice when I need it ......


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