A third of tenants had to move in the last year to be able to pay the rent

The rental market in Spain is going through a new phase marked by the tightening of access conditions and an increase in residential instability.

According to an analysis by the real estate network donpiso, 6 out of 10 owners have tightened the requirements to rent their homes in the last year. This change in behavior is having a direct impact on tenants, with an increase in forced moves for economic reasons.

The report reveals that half of the owners prioritize the security of the tenant's profile over profitability, which translates into more demanding filters. Specifically, 70% require minimum income equivalent to three times the rental price, while 60% request additional guarantees, such as non-payment insurance or guarantees. This trend significantly reduces access to rental housing, especially for younger people.

As a consequence, the selection process has become a highly restrictive funnel: only 1 in 4 candidates gets to visit a property despite the high number of interested parties per listing, which exceeds 300 candidates in the first 48 hours. This pressure highlights a structural mismatch between supply and demand that is intensifying in major urban centers, where the escalation of prices coexists with an increasingly limited supply.

In the words of Emiliano Bermúdez, deputy general director of donpiso: "We are seeing how the rental market is evolving towards a much more restrictive model, where the owner seeks to minimize risks. This has a direct consequence: more and more tenants are forced to accept harsher conditions or to change homes more frequently. Renting is losing its function as a housing resource prior to purchase and is becoming a factor of social pressure in large cities."

More moves: one out of three tenants has had to change neighborhoods

The social impact of this new scenario is reflected in the growing forced mobility. According to donpiso data, around 40% of tenants have moved for economic reasons in the last year, while 1 in 3 has had to change neighborhoods or areas to be able to afford the cost of rent. This dynamic is altering residency patterns and progressively displacing part of the population from the most strained areas.

To this situation is added greater residential instability: at least 20% of tenants have changed housing twice in the last five years, and 30% acknowledge living in a home that does not meet their preferences. Rent thus ceases to be a stable solution to become a transitional situation marked by uncertainty and constant adaptation to market conditions.