Spain rents rise 5.6% to €15.1 per sqm in October 2026

Spanish asking rents rose 5.6% over the year to €15.1 per square metre in October, yet slipped 1.1% over the quarter, with four areas now negative.

The facts

Asking rents in Spain averaged 15.1 euros per square metre in October 2026, idealista reported on 3 November.
The annual increase was +5.6%, the monthly change +0.1% and the quarterly change -1.1%.
Madrid remained the most expensive capital at 23.4 euros per square metre, up 4.5% over the year. Barcelona reached 20.5 euros and rose 0.3%.
Huesca led the capitals with a 19.7% annual rise.
Lleida at -1.3% and Bilbao at -1% were the only capitals with falling rents; among provinces, Guipúzcoa fell 1.4% and Álava 1.1%.
idealista revised the index methodology in July 2026 to exclude seasonal and holiday lets and applied the change to the whole historical series.

What it means for your money

Rents are rising but the quarter turned down. Glopra puts tax on Spanish rental income at 19%, which trims the 5.6% gain.
An owner already letting in Barcelona faces annual growth of 0.3% against the national 5.6%, so the capital-city premium is no longer in the rent movement.
Four areas now show falling rents, which means the national average hides the local direction a buyer actually faces.

What to watch

The quarterly -1.1% runs against the annual +5.6%; the distance between those two readings is the part of the series to follow.
Because the July 2026 methodology revision was applied backwards, rent figures published before that date are not comparable with this one.
The November index is due in the first days of December.

Sources: idealista https://www.idealista.com/sala-de-prensa/notas-de-prensa/2026/11/03/275251-el-precio-del-alquiler-en-espana-sube-un-5-6-interanual-durante-el-mes-de

Market data: Almeria · Murcia (Costa Calida) · Spain · Las Palmas