Student Accommodation in Madrid
If you are going to study in Madrid and are looking for student accommodation the most affordable option is a room in a shared student flat. Another popular option for foreign students is staying with a Spanish host family. Although it is more expensive than a shared flat it includes food and you will have a great option to practice your Spanish skills. If you prefer staying on your own you can also rent a small studio or one bedroom flat. The last option are staying at a student residence but the main problem here is that during the school year they are nearly always occupied by Spanish students and are therefore only available during the summer months.
How to find and book my student accommodation in Madrid
There are two different options when looking for student accommodation in Madrid - you can either try too book your accommodation in advanced or to look for accommodation once you arrive to Madrid.
What nearly all Spanish students do if they are not from Madrid and are looking for student accommodation is using notice boards available at all universities, small notice boards in bars or local shops or special student accommodation newspapers and then they visit a number of rooms before they decide upon one.
On the internet you can find several websites specialised in offering student accommodation or sites like ours that have a section with classified ads where you can find rooms and flats available or include an ad yourself requesting student accommodation (see below for more info).
You should though be very careful about booking and paying for student accommodation before you have seen the actual room, flat or neighbourhood (Madrid is very big and there is a great difference between the different areas). Very frequently you will find some nice photos or get a promising description about the accommodation and when you arrive it is completely different. This is the main reason why Spanish students normally do not book before they have seen the actual accommodation.
Unless you book through a trusted agent that can offer some type of guarantees or where you can contact former students (see add below for one of the best agents in Madrid) we recommend that you use the internet to get information and if possible to arrange to see the accommodation upon arrival but unless you are almost indifferent about the type of accommodation you end up with you should be careful about paying in advanced.
| Classified Ads offering student accommodation and cheap hostels Take a look at our classified ads where you can post a free ad or go through existing offers. Or try this link if you are looking for a cheap hostel for a couple of night. |
We recommend that you book a room in a cheap hostel or a hotel depending on your budget for a 2-5 nights and then spend your first days looking for accommodation. Although it might seem intimidating having to look for accommodation in a foreign country and your Spanish might not be very good you will nearly always find other foreign and Spanish students in the same situation that can help you and ending up with the right accommodation you are satisfied with will make your stay in Spain much more pleasant.
Good Luck
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