The task of looking for an apartment to live in Malaga is complicated, especially at certain times of the year, such as the summer months until September, when all students begin to look for apartments to stay for the entire university year. The first advice to follow is to have calm, patience and tranquility, and if it is possible to know and be informed in the best possible way of the areas of Malaga, and the options of public transport that each area has.
Looking for an apartment or room is not going to be an easy task and, unfortunately, much of what is rented has conditions of habitability that can be improved, so do not lose morale.
Rental housing in Malaga
The first thing is to know how to adapt to the existing supply of housing. We can appreciate how careful the people of Malaga are in renovating and decorating the tourist apartments. However, we will see that they are not so careful and meticulous when they put the "for rent" sign on their houses, in order to use them for long term rentals. If we add to this that many of the houses that are rented are not exactly well preserved because the owners are not interested, we have to think that the standard of comfort of an apartment or a room in Malaga is not the same, having as main detail the age of the building where the property is located.
For example, and a very important point to take into account at the time of the arrival of winter: the vast majority of houses do not have heating, so we do not recommend that it is a requirement when looking for an apartment because we will find few homes that have centralized heating, so the rent of these homes will be higher and Malaga is not a city that has a long and cold winter. But a feature to take into account, if we are going to live for a long time, more than a year is the orientation, the type of carpentry of the house and air conditioning system for the warmer months of the year.
Having indicated all the main details to take into account, it must be said that September is not the easiest month to look for an apartment in Malaga. Since many students arrive in the city with the beginning of the school year and are looking for housing or apartment to share. Many properties would not meet a minimum of comfort to be inhabited by a family, however, due to the housing problems of many people, these homes would have no way out in other circumstances if it were not for the great student demand. So, if you are lucky and find a good accommodation, congratulations. If not, it is better not to "tie yourself" for too long in the contract with a landlord and wait for opportunities to come later, it is always easier to change housing already residing in Malaga city, and it will generate less stress.
The price of rentals is not particularly cheap. A room can range between 200 and 500 euros, depending on whether they include expenses (such as electricity, water, internet ...) of the area, the amenities and the time of year in which it is rented. For example, a studio usually does not go below 500 euros, in areas close to the historic center of Malaga, less than 3 kms away.
How to find a place to live in Malaga
We indicate below by clicking here the web portals, most used in Malaga, to find housing either for rent or purchase. There are specialized web portals for those who are looking for a room in a university environment, although it is also advisable to look at the bulletin boards of the different faculties or Erasmus pages. If that has not worked either, there is always the possibility of looking at the bulletin boards of supermarkets, but finding something there is a very remote hypothesis.
If you want to rent the entire apartment, there is also the solution of hiring or demanding the services of a real estate agency, which usually have a good portfolio of rentals. Although real estate agencies generally charge fees to the lessee (tenant), it will always give us a security and guarantee, in case of any problem or conflict with the owner.
Where to live in Malaga
About areas to look for, let's start with the areas to avoid in Malaga. Within the city of Malaga it is not recommended to look for an apartment in the areas of Ciudad Jardin, Palma, Palmilla or Parque del Sur, or areas close to them. First of all, the reputation of these areas in Malaga is not the best; and secondly, the public transport usually has fewer bus lines and less frequent schedules of the EMT.
When choosing a neighborhood, it will depend a lot on where we are going to study or work. The area of Malaga west we can say that agglutinates more supply of properties for rent the main roads of: Héroe de Sostoa, Calle La Unión, Avenida de Velázquez, and the area of Avenida de los guindos. Counting with good connections with the whole city, as there are several bus lines and metro line 2, which at the moment at least reaches the train station Maria Zambrano. Malaga West is a quiet area, well connected to the center, with stores, supermarkets nearby and good service of bars and restaurants, the apartments and houses that we find in these areas can be of different quality and age. It is a highly recommended neighborhood for those who have more money than a student and are not looking for luxury buildings.
For those looking for something more luxurious and with better qualities, there are buildings with more expensive homes and good conditions in the areas of Limonar (Paseo de Sancha, Paseo del Limonar...), Monte de Sancha, Cerrado de Calderón and Morlaco, being the most exclusive areas of Malaga if we are looking for a single-family home: Pinares de San Antón and Guadalmar.
However, as this type of property is usually demanded by more affluent tenants who are looking for tranquility, privacy and those who seek more are students, there are some neighborhoods where you can find accommodation at reasonable prices.
Many students have the intention to move to the area of Teatinos. However, they also think twice, since it is one of the areas that has become more expensive in recent years. It is true that the area always has open bars and nightlife, but - besides the fact that the houses are old and somewhat degraded - in the long run it is not pleasant to live in an area where every night, especially on weekends, there is a lot of noise from the street. It is a highly recommended neighborhood for those who have a little more money than a student and are not looking for luxury buildings.