Finding accommodation in Barcelona

Living in Barcelona is an absolute dream! But to make the dream come true, finding the right place to live is essential.

There’s lots to think about – the area, the price, the people you’ll be living with and much more. All of these factors come down to finding the right search method for your ideal Barcelona accommodation. 

So, let’s break down the best apartment search platforms in Barcelona, before taking a look at our top tip for the very best way to find a place to stay in this enchanting city. 

The best platforms for finding an apartment in Barcelona

Idealista

The go-to platform when it comes to renting an apartment in Barcelona, Idealista is used by locals and expats alike. It features apartments from all the top agencies in the city, meaning there’s a ton of listings. Best of all, you can draw an outline on the map of where you want to live, helping you search within the best neighbourhoods of Barcelona. 

Pros

• The no1 apartment search platform in Barcelona
• Lots of apartments to choose from
• You can draw your own search area

Cons

• No private rentals, meaning you have to deal with agencies
• Little info about the person/people you’ll be living with

Airbnb

In 2021, the city passed a ban on short term Airbnb rentals – less than 31 days – meaning students looking for short term accommodation should look elsewhere. If you’re a long term student, Airbnb still has plenty to offer, with plenty of options in the ultra hip neighbourhoods such as Gracia, El Born and El Gótico, as well as cheaper options further from the centre. Still, if value for money is what you’re after, there are definitely better options.

Pros

• It’s a well-established platform
• Lots of choice in all areas of the city
• Reviews of landlord means you have more info before you commit

Cons

• No short term rentals
• Expensive

Spotahome

One of the best accommodation portals for students in Barcelona, Spotahome has a lot of listings for shared rooms in all the best neighbourhoods in Barcelona. It also has a lot of useful search filters, such as ‘perfect for students’ or ‘perfect for women’, as well as the likes of ‘washing machine’, ‘dishwasher’ and ‘heating’ for those practical considerations. Students looking for their own place should look elsewhere, as Spotahome pretty much strictly caters for shared apartments.

Pros

• Good choice of apartments
• Excellent search filters means you can get specific

Cons

• Not focused on housemates, so you don’t know much about who you’d be living with

Badi

A local Barcelona-based app, Badi differentiates itself from the competition by letting you search for a room or an apartment to share based on the housemates, not just price, location etc. You can filter your search to male, female or non-binary, as well as specitc aspects of the accomodation such as natural light, private bathroom and terrace.

Pros

• Great for those who have specific requirements
• Oriented towards young people
• Lots of info about the landlord and other housemates

Cons

• Not a great deal of choice compared with Idealista and SpotaHome
• Prices can be quite expensive

TEFL Iberia’s accommodation service

While the above platforms throw up the occasional gem, a lot of the time you’ll find yourself sifting through overpriced apartments with little to offer. Plus, it’s always a roll of the dice – you never really know what kind of people you’ll be staying with and whether your new apartment will be suitable for students.

That’s why we offer our very own accommodation service, tailored to the needs of our students. It costs just €700 for 4 weeks – all bills are included, so that’s electricity, gas, water and WiFi totally covered – and every apartment is centrally located, within 30 minutes from the school.

You’ll have a private room in a shared apartment, living in an apartment with 2–3 other people – Generally other students, ex-students and local Barcelona hosts.

And with all the facilities you’d expect from a modern flat, including WiFi, plenty of study space and shared bathroom and kitchen – all without having to deal with Spanish landlords or agencies – you’ll settle into the city in no time! 

Want to know more about studying at TEFL Iberia? Check out our range of courses, and take a step closer to working and living in Spain.