Finding a flat

Use uncommon ways for your flat search.
Your T-shirt is your advertising space.

No, you're not being slow if you've been looking for a flat for over two month now without success. It is the usual these days. Currently only 10% (5%) of all flat offers are below 800€ (700€) and almost everybody is looking for exactly that. Just in 2015 the rent increase has been estimated to be between 5% and 15% [0].

So, the game is tough but eventually you will get lucky. Recently, I did. Here's some notes and hints I took during the time. Maybe you can make use of it.

• There are several websites to look for flats: milanuncios.com, habitaclia.com, idealista.com, fotocasa.es. All have there pros and cons. Idealista seems to be the most frequented by far. To my opinion Habitaclia offers the best search experience and highest quality of search results.
• Try to shoot for privately offered flats ("de particular" as opposed to those offered via f**king rats agencies). Unfortunately, the standard landlord will go with agencies. Habitaclia offers a link that only shows flats "de particular": here [1]. 
• Those fb groups help find private offers: https://redd.it/5oh3k5
• Refresh, refresh, refresh the websites continuously. It matters. The best offers will only be online for 30 minutes to 1 hour, because once online their phone doesn't stop ringing.
• Walk around your preferred neighborhood and look for handwritten signs in doorways. You may want take pictures with GPS coords to later recall where they were.
• If you have to go with agencies, make sure they don't charge you more then 10% of a annuality, i.e. 10% * ( 12 * monthly rent). Be aware this will add about another 1000€ to your bill.
• Once you make it and visit a flat: ask for 'the services'. Are they registered? ("¿Estan los suministros dado de alta?") This question on 'the services' refers to whether or not the counters of gas, water, and power supply, are registered to the companies. If the answer to this question is 'no', it means you will face paying another 150€ to 250€ for a licensed worker to come by and set things up. The standart answer to this is however 'yes' and renting contract might even include a passage on a fine that has to be paid if you sign off from 'the services' when you leave.
• Ask for the stairway costs ("los gastos de escalera"). Those are stairway cleaning, lift service, and so on. By default they are also included and shouldn't be too high.
• Increase your chances of winning a flat by bringing a neat portfolio with information about you while visiting in.
• Express that you do want the flat (if you do) while visiting it. Call later that same day again to reassure and ask how things go.
• During the flat visit you will be asked whether or not you have a permanent work contract ("contrato indefinido"). You need to show the last two to three payrolls ("nóminas"). If you cannot answer in the positive, make sure you have a guarantor ("avalista") at hand.
• Try unpopular quarters. Some are surprisingly well connected. You might win authenticity and discover unexpected gems.

Good luck,
Luigi


Vocabulary
los suministros - the services (referring to gas, water, and electricity)
dado de alta - registered / set up
los gastos de escalera - expenses for stairway cleaning, lift service, and so on
de particular - from a private person (no agency involved)
el contrato indefinido - permanent work contract
la nómina - payroll
el/la avalista - the guarantor


Links
[0] el Periodico: "Se busca (y no se encuentra) piso de 800 euros [..]"
[1] Habitaclia