In the second quarter of 2025, Spain’s rental housing market saw a noticeable acceleration in transactions. According to research data, 8% of apartments listed on one of the largest real estate platforms were rented out in less than 24 hours after the ad was posted.
This trend was particularly pronounced in Teruel, where nearly a third of all rented apartments (32%) spent no more than 24 hours on the market. In Guadalajara, the figure was 19%, and in Soria—16%. Other cities with a high share of express rentals included Tarragona and Girona (14% each), as well as Zamora (13%) and Ceuta (12%).
Among Spain’s largest cities, the most significant activity was seen in Barcelona, where 12% of apartments were rented within the first day of listing. In Palma and San Sebastián, the rate reached 9%. In Alicante and Seville, it was 8%, while in Bilbao, Málaga, and Valencia the figure stood at 7%. Despite the scale of its market, Madrid recorded the lowest share of express rentals among major cities—6%.
In some cities, such as Melilla, there were no cases of apartments being rented in less than a day. In Cuenca, Ciudad Real, and Ávila, this indicator was 4%, while in Cáceres, Lugo, and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, it was 5%.
Looking at the situation by province, Teruel also led in rental speed—here, 20% of apartments were rented out within the first 24 hours. It was followed by Guadalajara (16%), Tarragona (15%), Girona and Barcelona (14% each). The top ten also included Soria, Palencia, Zamora, Cantabria, Gipuzkoa, Huesca, and Navarra, where the share of express rentals ranged from 11% to 13%.
At the other end of the spectrum was the province of Cuenca, where only 4% of apartments were rented out so quickly. In Cáceres, Ciudad Real, and Lugo, this figure does not exceed 5%.
Experts note that such a high speed of transactions is due to the limited supply in the rental market and high demand, especially in cities with a developed economy and an influx of new residents. As a result, many tenants are forced to make decisions as quickly as possible in order not to miss the right option.
The current situation highlights the tension in Spain’s rental housing market and underscores the need to find new solutions to increase the availability of apartments for the population.
