How to prepare a tenant profile that landlords choose in a market with so much demand

A market where every listing gets dozens of messages

Looking for a flat to rent in a big city is more and more like a job application process. According to idealista, in the second quarter of 2026 each rental home in Spain received an average of 42 enquiries from interested people, 18% more than a year earlier.

In the big cities the pressure is even greater. In Barcelona the figure reached 95 interested people per listing, 53% more than the previous year; in Madrid it stood at 48. Some medium-sized provincial capitals exceed even those levels: Vitoria (129), Guadalajara (121) and Tarragona (119).

City	Interested people per listing	Annual change
Vitoria	129	—
Guadalajara	121	—
Barcelona	95	+53%
Palma	59	—
Madrid	48	—
San Sebastián	46	+35%
Valencia	42	+23%
Málaga	39	—
Seville	35	—
Spain average	42	+18%

Source: idealista, competition for rental homes in the second quarter of 2026 (published on 23/07/2026). A dash means the source does not give the change.

On top of the competition comes the price. In September 2026, rent in the city of Madrid reached €23.4 per square metre a month, an all-time high and 4.8% more than a year earlier, according to idealista. In Barcelona it stood at €20.1, 0.8% less than a year ago.

In this context, finding the flat is not enough: you need the landlord to choose you. The good news is that much of what they value does not depend on how much you earn, but on how you present yourself.

What landlords are looking for

According to a survey by the estate agency network donpiso published in August 2026, 60% of landlords have tightened their requirements over the last year. 70% ask for an income of at least three times the rent, and 60% request additional guarantees such as rent default insurance or a guarantor. Half say they put the security of the tenant's profile before return on investment.

Behind those requirements lies, above all, a fear of not being paid. However, the data suggest putting this in perspective. In a survey by the OCU (Spanish consumers' organisation) published in June 2025, 72% of landlords who let a property said they had had no problems with their tenants; 8% had experienced late payments and only 4% repeated non-payment.

What landlords are really looking for is less uncertainty. A clear, consistent profile that is easy to verify conveys exactly that, even if your income is not the highest on the list.

What ratio between rent and income is reasonable

The most widely used benchmark is that rent should not exceed 30% of net household income. It is also the threshold that Ley 12/2023 por el derecho a la vivienda (Law 12/2023 on the right to housing) uses to declare a zona tensionada (stressed housing market area): when the average cost of rent or mortgage, plus basic expenses and utilities, exceeds 30% of average household income.

The requirement of an income three times the rent that many landlords apply is equivalent to roughly the same 33%. Rent default insurers tend to be somewhat more flexible: according to Kelisto, a usual condition is that the annual rent does not exceed 45% of the tenant's net income.

Rent of €900: under the three-times rule, the landlord will look for a net income of €2,700 a month.
Under the insurers' 45% criterion, that same rent fits a net income of around €2,000.
If you are renting as a couple or sharing a flat, what counts is the combined income of everyone named on the contract.

If your income is below those benchmarks, it does not mean you cannot rent. It means it is worth relying on other tools: a guarantor, insurance, a spotless payment record or combining your income with someone else's.

The documents to have ready

Speed is a competitive advantage. When a listing gets dozens of messages within a few hours, whoever can prove they can afford the rent on the spot has a better chance. Prepare a digital folder with these documents:

Document	What it is for	Tip
DNI (Spanish ID card) or NIE (foreigner's identity number)	Identifying the future tenant	You can show it; blacking out unnecessary details on copies is reasonable
Latest payslips (2 or 3)	Proving current income	Black out details that add nothing, such as your bank account
Employment contract	Showing stability	If it is recent, add a letter from the company
Income tax return	Proving self-employed or variable income	Useful when there are no payslips
Informe de vida laboral (Social Security employment history)	Showing your career history	Optional; helpful if you have been in your current job for a short time
References from previous landlords	Showing a good payment record	A short letter or a contact who has agreed to be called
Guarantor's details	Additional guarantee	Their income and their express consent

Our own summary based on usual market practice and the data protection principles of the AEPD (Spanish Data Protection Agency).

What they can and cannot ask you for: data protection

Providing documents is normal, but the landlord or agency must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD, Spanish Data Protection Agency) points out that processing must be lawful, fair and transparent, limited to specified and legitimate purposes, and in line with the principle of data minimisation: only the data needed for that purpose can be processed.

Applied to renting, the legitimate purpose is to check your identity and your ability to pay. That justifies asking for payslips, an employment contract or an income tax return, but not data unrelated to it, such as health information, full bank statements or details of your personal life. In addition, according to the AEPD, once the purpose has been fulfilled the data must be deleted or blocked; if you are not chosen, there is no reason for them to keep your file indefinitely.

Copies of your ID card deserve a separate mention. In a 2021 decision (PS/00078/2021), the AEPD fined a hotel €30,000 for keeping photos of its guests' identity documents, considering that processing unnecessary and disproportionate. Although the case was not about renting a home, it illustrates the principle: identifying someone does not always require keeping an image of their document.

There are also limits on checking credit default registers. Article 20 of Ley Orgánica 3/2018 (Organic Law 3/2018 on data protection) only allows these systems to be consulted by someone who has a contractual relationship with the person involving a payment, or when that person has applied for a contract with deferred payment or periodic billing. If you are turned down for the rental as a result of that check, they must tell you the result.

Ask what your documents will be used for and how long they will be kept.
Send your documents through a secure channel and avoid forwarding them to several people.
Black out on the copies any details that are not needed to assess your ability to pay.
If you think they are asking for excessive data, you can file a complaint with the AEPD.

Deposit, guarantees and what they cannot charge you

Knowing the legal limits helps you negotiate with confidence. The Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos (LAU, Spain's Urban Leases Act) sets a compulsory fianza (deposit) of one month's rent for residential leases. Additional guarantees, such as a further deposit or a bank guarantee, cannot exceed two months' rent in contracts of up to five years, or seven if the landlord is a company or other legal entity.

Since Law 12/2023, estate agency management fees and the costs of drawing up the contract are paid by the landlord. If an agency tries to charge you fees for handling the rental, you can remind them of what article 20.1 of the LAU says.

Guarantors and rent default insurance: how they work

A guarantor (avalista) is a person, usually a family member, who agrees to pay if the tenant does not. It is a highly valued guarantee, especially when you are just starting work or have a variable income. The guarantee should be in writing, the guarantor should fully understand what it covers, and they should also provide proof of income.

Rent default insurance is usually taken out by the landlord, who is its beneficiary. According to Kelisto, for a rent of €1,000 a month, the annual price of these policies ranged from around €381 to €682, depending on the cover, which usually goes from 6 to 24 months of unpaid rent. Insurers assess the tenant's ability to pay and require, among other things, that they do not appear on credit default registers.

For the tenant, this has a practical side: if the insurer accepts your profile, the landlord has one less reason to hesitate. In addition, the new Plan Estatal de Vivienda 2026-2030 (State Housing Plan 2026-2030) provides support for young tenants through guarantee insurance, whose roll-out depends on the autonomous regions.

How to present yourself so you stand out

First impressions count. A well-written message, arriving on time for the viewing and well-organised documents can carry as much weight as your income. These tips help your application stand out:

Write a short first message: who you are, what you do, who you would live with, from when you need the flat and for how long.
Reply quickly and suggest specific times for the viewing.
Have your documents ready in a single file so you can send them as soon as you are asked.
Be open about your situation: if your income varies, explain your average over recent months and provide proof.
Mention your history: years of renting without problems and a reference from a previous landlord are worth a lot.
If you have a pet, say so from the start and offer information about it.
Make the viewing count: be on time, ask reasonable questions and treat the home with respect.

Your income does not define you as a tenant

It is easy to get discouraged when you see income requirements well above yours. But a good tenant is, above all, someone who pays on time, looks after the home and communicates well, and none of that depends on the size of your payslip. Many landlords prefer a stable, transparent profile to one with a higher income but less clarity.

At Llavely, tenants verify their profile just once and it is verified landlords who invite them to view a home, so there is no need to compete by sending the same message to dozens of listings.

Frequently asked questions

How many people compete for a rental flat in Madrid?

According to idealista, in the second quarter of 2026 each rental listing in Madrid received an average of 48 enquiries from interested people. In Barcelona it was 95 and the Spanish average stood at 42, 18% more than a year earlier.

What income do landlords ask for to rent?

The most common requirement is a net income of around three times the rent: according to a donpiso survey from August 2026, 70% of landlords ask for it. Rent default insurers usually accept annual rent of up to 45% of net income.

What percentage of my salary should go on rent?

The general benchmark is not to exceed 30% of net income. It is the same threshold that Law 12/2023 uses to identify stressed market areas. If you share a flat or rent as a couple, the incomes of everyone named on the contract are added together.

Can the landlord ask for my payslips?

Yes, checking your ability to pay is a legitimate purpose, and payslips, an employment contract or an income tax return are reasonable documents for it. What they should not ask for is data unrelated to that purpose, such as health information or full bank statements, under the principle of data minimisation.

Is it legal for them to ask for a copy of my ID?

Identifying you is reasonable, but the minimisation principle means only the necessary data may be processed. In other sectors, the AEPD has penalised keeping photos of identity documents as disproportionate. You can offer to show the document or send a copy with unnecessary details blacked out.

Can they check whether I am on a credit default register?

Organic Law 3/2018 only allows these registers to be consulted by someone who has a contractual relationship with you involving an outstanding payment, or when you have applied for a contract with deferred payment or periodic billing. If you are turned down for the contract after the check, they must tell you.

How much can they ask for as a deposit and guarantees?

The legal deposit is one month's rent. Additional guarantees cannot exceed two months' rent in contracts of up to five years, or seven if the landlord is a company. In addition, estate agency management fees and the costs of drawing up the contract are paid by the landlord.

Who pays for rent default insurance?

It is usually taken out by the landlord, who is the beneficiary of the policy. According to Kelisto, for a rent of €1,000 a month the annual price ranged from around €381 to €682, depending on the cover. It affects the tenant because the insurer assesses their ability to pay before accepting the policy.

What can I do if I don't meet the income they ask for?

You can strengthen your application with a guarantor, combine your income with someone else's, provide references from previous landlords or show proof of savings. Presenting your documents quickly and in good order also helps. Income is only one part of what a landlord takes into account.