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Agents commission on rental property

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:08pm
9 replies137 views6 members subscribed
Sas

Posts: 14

Location: Altea

Joined: 5 Sep 2018

Hi there

I am looking for a property to rent and it seems that I would need to pay one months full rent to the agent as commission. Is this normal? Wouldn't it be the owner of the property that would pay the agent commission as they are doing a job of finding a tenant? Why would the tenant need to pay the commission?

killjoy

Posted: Thu Nov 1, 2018 10:50am

killjoy

Super helpful member

Posts: 3232

1849 helpful points

Location: Orihuela Costa

Joined: 4 Nov 2017

Posted: Thu Nov 1, 2018 10:50am

Depends on what you consider as "normal". In Spain nothing is normal, instead everything is not what it looks at first sight, can be, perhaps, probably not quite, or exactly the contrary. So, be prepared. Agents rip off as much as they can, and you will have to go through it. On top of that, they usually will request 1 to 3 months deposit and you are never sure that the money really reaches the owner. This is my own experience (I'm not an agent).

Sas

Posted: Thu Nov 1, 2018 11:45am

Sas

Original Poster

Posts: 14

Location: Altea

Joined: 5 Sep 2018

Posted: Thu Nov 1, 2018 11:45am

Thanks so much! 

Elayne

Posted: Thu Nov 8, 2018 7:30am

Posts: 8

1 helpful points

Location: Alicante City

Joined: 26 Mar 2018

Posted: Thu Nov 8, 2018 7:30am

Sas wrote on Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:08pm:

Hi there

I am looking for a property to rent and it seems that I would need to pay one months full rent to the agent as commission. Is this normal? Wouldn't it be the owner of the property that would pay the agent commission as they are doing a job of finding a tenant? Why would the tenant need to pay the...

... commission?

Hi 

Last summer out of curiosity I spoke to a lovely agent about renting my apartment. A months/commission would come from the renter. Also bills, electric, water, rubbish would be put into renters name which agent would set up. For short term rentals it may be worth finding someone you can deal with outside of an agent sort of pay as you go, less headache. AirBnB sounds like a good suggestions till you find something.

ros4111

Posted: Thu Nov 8, 2018 8:25pm

ros4111

Helpful member

Posts: 329

177 helpful points

Joined: 13 Sep 2018

Posted: Thu Nov 8, 2018 8:25pm

killjoy wrote on Thu Nov 1, 2018 10:50am:

Depends on what you consider as "normal". In Spain nothing is normal, instead everything is not what it looks at first sight, can be, perhaps, probably not quite, or exactly the contrary. So, be prepared. Agents rip off as much as they can, and you will have to go through it. On top of that, they...

... usually will request 1 to 3 months deposit and you are never sure that the money really reaches the owner. This is my own experience (I'm not an agent).

Hi:

Look like in Spain we are crazy and I am sure we are not. Lets make numbers:

If I own a house and i want every month 400€, and I rent directly (I put advertisements somewhere) I will get 4800€ in a year.

If I contact a Real State that wants 400€ there is two ways to pay that:

The guest pays 400€ directly to the Real State so my price stays on 400€/month

I move up the price  433€/month so i get 5196 in a year less 400€ for the Real State equals 4796€

It is the same, one way you see it and another way you dont see, but you always pay.

I'm not an agent but I understand that if someone makes a work he deserve to be paid. I own a house that I offer to rent, but I think I can make the work myself (I dont know as good).

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Sas

Posted: Thu Nov 8, 2018 9:05pm

Sas

Original Poster

Posts: 14

Location: Altea

Joined: 5 Sep 2018

Posted: Thu Nov 8, 2018 9:05pm

Thank you for your input!

Ancient Printer

Posted: Fri Nov 9, 2018 1:47pm

Ancient Printer

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Location: Javea / Xàbia

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Posted: Fri Nov 9, 2018 1:47pm

I have long experience of long term letting in Spain. I normally pay the first month rent to the agent as commission. I ask for two months' damage deposit and usually get it. The law only allows one month so I have to accept that if the renter insists. The tenant never pays a commission to the agent on top. If the agent asks for it, I go elsewhere. The standard long term contract is a "Vivienda" that gives the tenant three years security of tenure. Some agents insist on an extra month's commission for each year even if they do no work. These agents I also drop. The tenant normally pays electricity, gas, phone, internet and basura. Here the owner always pays the comunidad and IBI. This is the opposite to Engalnd where the tenant pays the IBI/Council tax and comunidad.

Sas

Posted: Fri Nov 9, 2018 9:22pm

Sas

Original Poster

Posts: 14

Location: Altea

Joined: 5 Sep 2018

Posted: Fri Nov 9, 2018 9:22pm

Thank you so much, this is extremely helpful. Can I ask....am I understanding correctly that by law, a tenant only has to pay 1 month deposit and not 2, even if the owner is asking for 2 months deposit? 

Thanks for your help!


Ancient Printer

Posted: Fri Nov 9, 2018 10:04pm

Ancient Printer

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Posts: 232

241 helpful points

Location: Javea / Xàbia

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Posted: Fri Nov 9, 2018 10:04pm

So far as I understand that is correct. Of course a landlord might refuse you without the two momths in advance of signing it up. Thus in practice you'd have to agree or look elsewhere. The law stipulates what can be enforced though contracts with all kind of variations and unenfoceable conditions are often used. For example you can specify that periodic inspections are allowed BUT these cannot be enforced and the tenant can subsequently refuse to let you in. Hope that helps. It's vital to maintain a good relationship with the tenant as far as possible as going to law is slow and expensive in spite of what you may be told. By law you can increase the rent annually by the IPC:

http://www.ine.es/calcula/calcula.do;jsessionid=1B8DE7659A278CBF4A5CF5FE242DBA86.calcula02

Sas

Posted: Fri Nov 9, 2018 10:50pm

Sas

Original Poster

Posts: 14

Location: Altea

Joined: 5 Sep 2018

Posted: Fri Nov 9, 2018 10:50pm

Thanks very much for your help on this.

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