A new report from property portal Idealista reveals where overseas tenants are most interested in renting homes in Spain.
Foreign tenants are flocking to Spain’s rental market, with hotspots like the Balearic Islands, Alicante, Málaga, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife standing out. According to a new report by Idealista, more than 20% of all rental demand in these provinces during Q1 came from abroad.
Baleares leads the pack
Nowhere is demand stronger than in the Balearic Islands, where 29.1% of rental enquiries come from foreign countries. The bulk of that interest comes from Germans (39%), followed by the British (9%) and Italians (7%).
Alicante and Málaga not far behind
Alicante takes second place, with 27.4% of rental demand coming from outside Spain. The Dutch (14%), Germans (11%), and British (9%) are the main players here. Málaga follows closely with 25.7% foreign demand, driven largely by the British (11%), Germans (10%), and Dutch (9%).
Canary Islands also in demand
In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 21.9% of rental searches come from abroad. Germans once again lead the way with 23%, ahead of Italians (19%) and Britons (8%).
Valencia beats Barcelona and Madrid
Among Spain’s biggest rental markets, Valencia shines with 17% foreign demand, higher than Barcelona (15.3%) and Madrid (9.1%). American tenants are particularly active in Valencia, Madrid, and Seville, while Barcelona draws heavy French and Italian interest.
Patterns in the provinces
Other provinces show more localised foreign interest: Portuguese tenants dominate searches in border provinces like Badajoz and Huelva, Andorrans in Lleida, and Brazilians in Valladolid. Latin American tenants are more active inland, in provinces such as Guadalajara, Toledo, and Segovia.
Idealista’s analysis makes clear that while Spain’s rental market is attractive across the board, it’s the coastal and tourist destinations that draw the heaviest demand from abroad — and increasingly from a wide range of nationalities, not just the usual suspects of Germans, Britons, and French.
