Last checked against the sources: 12 November 2026.

In short: you will be asked for proof of identity and income. What the law does limit is what you can be charged or required to provide as a guarantee:

  • a deposit (fianza) of one month;
  • at most two months of additional guarantee for a main residence (one for temporary housing);
  • no compulsory rent-default insurance;
  • no charge for arranging or formalising the contract.

This article is for information only and does not replace the advice of a lawyer or gestor (a professional who handles administrative paperwork).

What landlords usually ask for

There is no official list. Each landlord or agency decides what it needs to assess your application. In practice, the same things come up again and again:

Document Why they want it If you do not have it
Passport or ID document To know who is signing Essential
NIE (foreigner’s identity number) To identify you in Spain The LAU (Spain’s urban tenancies act) does not require it to sign; say what stage your application is at
Employment contract and latest payslips Stable income Offer alternatives (see below)
Tax return Income of self-employed people The one from your country, translated
Bank statements Savings or recurring income Cover up the transactions that are not needed
Cover letter To get to know the person Very useful if your income comes from abroad

If your income is not Spanish

This is the most common situation for people arriving from abroad, and it is usually solved with good documentation:

  • Working for a foreign company: contract, a letter from the company confirming the position and remote working, and recent payslips.
  • Self-employed: invoices from recent months, tax return and statements showing regular payments.
  • Savings or pension: a certificate or statements proving the amount.
  • Translation: a summary in Spanish or English makes it easier to read. Ask beforehand whether they want an official translation; they do not always require one.

Prepare a single, tidy PDF. It helps whoever decides and reduces the risk of sending more data than necessary.

What the law does not allow them to demand

These rules are in the Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos (LAU), as worded since 8 October 2026:

  • Deposit (fianza): exactly one month’s rent for housing, in cash (art. 36.1).
  • Additional guarantees, whether a deposit, bank guarantee or another form: for a main residence of up to 5 years (7 if the landlord is a company), «it may not exceed two months’ rent» (original: «no podrá exceder de dos mensualidades de renta»); for temporary housing, one month’s rent (art. 36.5).
  • Rent-default insurance: «In no case may the tenant be required to take out rent-default insurance or other similar cover» (original: «En ningún caso podrá exigirse al arrendatario la contratación de seguros de impago de renta u otras coberturas análogas») (art. 36.5).
  • Property-management and contract-formalisation costs: these cannot be passed on to the tenant «directly or indirectly, under any heading or name» (original: «ni directa ni indirectamente, bajo ningún concepto o denominación») (art. 20.2). More detail in Who pays the agency fee?.
  • Property taxes (such as the IBI, the annual property tax): these cannot be imposed on the tenant unless the tenant is the taxpayer (art. 20.1).
  • Community charges: only if agreed in writing with their annual amount (art. 20.1).

If you are asked for something beyond these limits, you can politely ask which rule it is based on. Sometimes it is simply that they are unaware of the reform, which is very recent.

Personal data: only what is needed

A landlord may need to check your solvency, but not your whole financial life. Practical tips (not a legal rule):

  • send statements with irrelevant transactions covered up;
  • do not send copies of documents through channels you do not know;
  • add a watermark to your passport copy such as «For rental at [address], [date] only».

Frequently asked questions

Is a six-month bank guarantee legal? For a main residence of up to 5 or 7 years, additional guarantees taken together cannot exceed two months’ rent. A bank guarantee is an additional guarantee.

Can they ask me for a Spanish guarantor? The law does not expressly forbid it. If it is requested as an additional guarantee, the same value limit applies.

What if the contract was signed before 8 October 2026? Some limits changed with that reform. Seasonal contracts signed earlier keep their rules until they end. Check your case with a professional.

Next step

With your documents ready, carry on with how to rent a flat in Valencia step by step or review the contract clauses in the Valencia guide. If you have doubts, write to us.

Sources

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