RENTAL AGREEMENT: WHAT TO KEEP IN MIND
If you are planning on living in Barcelona but you do not want to buy a property, your best option will be to rent an apartment. But before doing so, you should be aware of some important facts.
To rent in Barcelona means a considerable investment of money and if you are not sure about what you are signing, you might see yourself eventually paying some unexpected payments.
To rent in Barcelona, some basic facts:
The rental agreement is a legal document. Thus, once signed, you must respect all its terms scrupulously.
That is why you should not forget to check all the following terms:
Length of the contract: both parties of the contract can set the length of the document; however, if it is less than five years, the contract will be extended up to five years ( in those cases that the owner is a legal person, will be up to seven), if both parties agree to it.
Who signs the contract:
if you are the tenant, you must check that who signs the document is the real owner of the property, or alternatively, someone with legal capacity to do it.
The economic rent:
it is also very important that the document clearly shows the specific amount of money to be paid monthly and that both parties have agreed. Thus, the annual increases can not be higher than the Consumer Price Index.
Occupancy certificate:
although it is taken for granted, a property not always has the proper authorization to live in, in other words, the occupancy certificate. This document is issued by the Autonomous Communities and lasts 15 years.
With this document declares that the house, apartment… has the legal conditions to be lived in, such like hygiene, healthiness… moreover, it also shows the square meters that the property has, its distribution and the equipment available. This certificate is necessary so you can ask for energy, gas, water…
The energy certificate:
it is similar to the former document. This certificate provides you information about the house energy consume and its carbon emissions. Since June 2013 it is a mandatory document in order to sell or rent an apartment or house. The owner must handle the tenant a copy of it when signing the contract.
Other concerns:
it is important that the contract you are going to sign, are confirmed some relevant issues such like the security lodged, which it can be to a maximum of three months’ wages, or as well, who will take care of some expenses. In this case, if the landlord is a legal person, the expense will be on it and will also pay for the agreement.
To end up, our advice is that before signing a rental contract, let yourself be advised by a real estate agent whom will have long experience on these matters.
Contact us and we will be glad to help you.
