# Rental Agent Charging Tenant



## DaveC70 (Nov 8, 2012)

Hi

Is it normal in Spain for the Rental Agency who has property advertised for rent to charge the Tenant 50% of the first months rent for finding them a property.

Thanks 

Dave


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

DaveC70 said:


> Hi
> 
> Is it normal in Spain for the Rental Agency who has property advertised for rent to charge the Tenant 50% of the first months rent for finding them a property.
> 
> ...


Yes - I have had to pay that.


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

DaveC70 said:


> Hi
> 
> Is it normal in Spain for the Rental Agency who has property advertised for rent to charge the Tenant 50% of the first months rent for finding them a property.
> 
> ...


Some charge a full month! There is usually a fee, this can sometimes be negotiated. Mine wanted a month, i negotiated to 50% but yes its pretty common and normal.

1 Month (sometimes 3) Deposit
1 Month Agency fee
1 Month Rent in advance

This is the general way it works!


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## DaveC70 (Nov 8, 2012)

Thanks for the quick reply


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

steve_in_spain said:


> Some charge a full month! There is usually a fee, this can sometimes be negotiated. Mine wanted a month, i negotiated to 50% but yes its pretty common and normal.
> 
> 1 Month (sometimes 3) Deposit
> 1 Month Agency fee
> ...


I've never paid an agency fee 


as you know - the legal requirement is only for 1 month deposit & one month upfront - it's up to the tenant if they want to agree to more - pretty much everything is negotiable - especially these days


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

DaveC70 said:


> Hi
> 
> Is it normal in Spain for the Rental Agency who has property advertised for rent to charge the Tenant 50% of the first months rent for finding them a property.
> 
> ...


Some charge a full month! There is usually a fee, this can sometimes be negotiated. Mine wanted a month, i negotiated to 50% but yes its pretty common and normal.

1 Month (sometimes 3) Deposit
1 Month Agency fee
1 Month Rent in advance

This is the general way it works!


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

xabiachica said:


> I've never paid an agency fee
> 
> 
> as you know - the legal requirement is only for 1 month deposit & one month upfront - it's up to the tenant if they want to agree to more - pretty much everything is negotiable - especially these days


didnt knwo a month was law but i guess if they ask it and you agree it then its legal lol


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Half the montly rental is pretty normal, some try to charge more, some may not charge a fee upfront, but its deducted from the landlords rental. 

So as xabiachica says you pay one months deposit and one month up front in general

Jo xxx


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## andymichael (Jul 2, 2012)

xabiachica said:


> I've never paid an agency fee
> 
> 
> as you know - the legal requirement is only for 1 month deposit & one month upfront - it's up to the tenant if they want to agree to more - pretty much everything is negotiable - especially these days


Hi Dave,

As the above quote says. I went through all of this back in October, don't fall into the trap of 'everyone else has paid it so you must have to', you don't! 

I searched around, some said it is half a months some a bit less, but I would of never in a million years paid a full month :shocked: Eventually I was lucky enough to find my perfect property with an amazing English agency who didn't charge a penny! 

If you end up finding a property and nothing else will do at all but the agent want's a big fee, negotiate and haggle them to death. They will drop, unless unbelievably stubborn or stupid. You can always tell them to contact the seller direct and say you want the property but won't pay the full fee, they may then offer half. You hold many more chips than they do, don't forget that.

Any way you do it don't accept that you have to, there are tonnes more properties than renters so you have the upper hand. If you bluff and say you won't pay to see their response don't worry about them not budging, you can always call them back if you are desperate for that certain property.

As one of the Spanish agents said to me on my refusal to pay the half month rent fee (that an hour earlier had told me MUST be paid) ; 'I'll check with my boss, but don't worry, it is all negotiable.' Says it all really.

Good luck!


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

The other way of looking at this is that if you pay the finders fee, the agent will be on your side. If you dont pay it, you can be sure that the agent will be getting a fee from someone, so it will be from the landlord. Now, if you're new to the country/area, its useful to have an agent who can help you with other things - banks, schools, hobbies, NIE, buying cars. translation......... etc and if you have any problems with the property then they would tend to be on your side if you#re the one who paid them.

When we first moved to Spain our agent was invaluable to us, more than compensating for the finders fee and became good friends

Jo xxxx


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## DaveC70 (Nov 8, 2012)

All thanks for the replies, I will be over on the 25th looking for a property so it will be good bye to Cyprus for me and hello Spain.

Thanks again

Dave


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

The agent we used to find our current property did not charge a fee - she got the first month's rental from the landlord; around here that is how it works. I've never heard of anyone being charged an agency fee even from the more dodgy agencies. One month rental and one deposit is all you should pay. Chances of getting the deposit back are low so most people don't bother paying the final month's rent if they are moving out at the end of the contract. Spanish landlords expect you to do that since they quite often don't have the deposit to pay it back!! Back to our agent, she is now one of the many friends we have made here and is very reliable.


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

I think it really does depend on the area. As I said earlier, when I first came to Spain and spoke no Spanish and was dealing with the English agencies they were all asking for three months deposit. I've even heard of agencies charging two months free but I think they are just trying to push their luck. By moved to the area that I live now which is completely Spanish with almost 0 expatriates every agency was charging a one-month fee. Of course, a negotiated this and I paid half a month. Incidentally because I was English the landlord was very concerned that I might do a runner back to the UK and so insisted on a chunk of rent being paid upfront. This was easily got around by providing him with a reference from my bank and my accountant. And now have an excellent relationship with my landlord and after two years in this property we get on extremely well 

So to summarise I think if you are being asked to pay a fee they are not out to rip you off as it is just how they work. Some agencies charge the landlord, some charge the tenant and some will try to charge both. Ultimately, you have to find a property that you like and an agent or landlord that you feel comfortable with and then negotiate on what you are willing to pay. Usually the "I would sign it today and give you the money instantly but not on those terms" works very well especially in this tough economic climate


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## Monkey Hangers (Jan 8, 2009)

thrax said:


> The agent we used to find our current property did not charge a fee - she got the first month's rental from the landlord; around here that is how it works. I've never heard of anyone being charged an agency fee even from the more dodgy agencies. One month rental and one deposit is all you should pay. Chances of getting the deposit back are low so most people don't bother paying the final month's rent if they are moving out at the end of the contract. Spanish landlords expect you to do that since they quite often don't have the deposit to pay it back!! Back to our agent, she is now one of the many friends we have made here and is very reliable.


Same here in Murcia. One German agent wanted a full month's rent from us as a finders fee, the home was on his web site, I found it!! All he did was show it to me.
The first home we rented we paid €150 for the drawing up of the rental contract, two months rent as a deposit which WAS returned and a month's rent in advance. Our current home, we paid €100 for the contract and one month's rent as a deposit, one month's rent in advance. There are lots of properties available, the owner surely should be paying any finders fee to the agent, not the tenant. Both our agents are good friends, but they got paid by the property owners.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Monkey Hangers said:


> Same here in Murcia. One German agent wanted a full month's rent from us as a finders fee, the home was on his web site, I found it!! All he did was show it to me.
> The first home we rented we paid €150 for the drawing up of the rental contract, two months rent as a deposit which WAS returned and a month's rent in advance. Our current home, we paid €100 for the contract and one month's rent as a deposit, one month's rent in advance. There are lots of properties available, the owner surely should be paying any finders fee to the agent, not the tenant. Both our agents are good friends, but they got paid by the property owners.


you pay for the contract :confused2:


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> you pay for the contract :confused2:


It doesn't matter how they wrap it up or what they call it, it's still a fee!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> It doesn't matter how they wrap it up or what they call it, it's still a fee!


true


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## Monkey Hangers (Jan 8, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> It doesn't matter how they wrap it up or what they call it, it's still a fee!


Yes I know, but I'd rather pay €150 or €100 for a contract to be drawn up as my fee, than a full months rent


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