Madrid Housing Options: UMD does not offer or manage housing in Madrid. Instead, students are allowed to pick their own accommodation to find what works best for them. Most opt to live in shared apartments in Madrid city center with other students studying abroad (from UMD or with other international students) with our suggested providers.
Booking with suggested providers: Housing in Madrid can be tricky which is why we’ve developed relationships with these suggested provider companies that we have verified as safe & legitimate and offer a variety of housing options all over Madrid. These companies all have Madrid-based teams and contacts for our students to reach out to either during the booking process or post-booking if an issue arises. Check them out below!
Benefits to working with our suggested providers: These companies are used to working with students and young adults, have easy to use portals with a large variety of apartment options, provide detailed listings with photos and property details, and offer a booking discount for UMD students!
Why this housing option? It allows you the most flexibility and to find what works best for you when thinking about neighbourhoods, your budget, and whether you want to live with friends or other UMD students.
Keep in mind: These are independent companies with which you will reserve an apartment and then sign a contract with a property manager. Since this is an agreement between you and the company, we are limited in the support that we can provide should housing issues arise during your semester abroad. That being said, having contacts with each of these recommended providers allows us to better support students when possible.
Booking Considerations
Click here to review important considerations while working through the booking process.
Below are examples of where to look for important details with our suggested providers!
Each apartment listing should clearly include:
- Rent, deposit & additional fees
- Utilities information
- Property amenities & photos
- Rental policies & conditions
Learn how to spot the important details for property listings! Accepted students should review the Madrid housing information provided during the PDO and as part of the housing webinar.
Here is an example of what rental conditions might look like for Lodgerin:
Pay attention to the utilities and services included in the price. There might be a note indicating that certain utilities have limits:
Always look to see if the owner or property is ¨Verified¨. This means that the housing company has verified the owner and they have had at least one successful booking in the past. If the property is verified, this means the housing company has seen the apartment and confirms it is being fairly represented:
When making your booking make sure you understand the payment breakdown. If you have any questions, clarify them with the housing provider. Also, do not forget to use the UMD discount code!:
Getting to UC3M & Comillas: Recommended Areas to Live
Most students prefer to live within the city center of Madrid out of convenience and because they want to be near most major sites (circled in blue). In terms of safety, we recommend looking for housing within the highway M-30 (circled in red). Attached is a map outlining those areas:
Neighborhoods:
The most common neighborhoods our students live in are: Sol, Embajadores, La Latina, Huertas/Barrio de las letras, Lavapies, Chueca, Atocha, Palacio
Want to learn more about these areas? Check out the links below to get a sense of where you might like to live!
Getting to the UC3M Leganés Campus:
The two recordings give you a sense of what neighborhoods are most convinient to live if you are taking a majority of your courses at the UC3M Leganés (STEM) campus. The first highlights the C-5 Cercanias train (commuter train) that goes from Madrid city center that stops in Leganés and the metros that connect to its different train stations (Embajadores, Atocha). The second one is a follow-up that looks at neighborhoods/areas the connecting metros run through. The light blue metro line 1 connects to both Atocha and Sol and the yellow line 3 connects to Embajadores and Sol amongst other areas.
- Línea C-5 RENFE Cercanías de Madrid - Watch Video
- Convenient metros to get to C-5 train stations - Watch Video
Getting to the UC3M Getafe Campus:
Getting to the UC3M Getafe (Business, Social Sciences, Humanities) campus is also an easy commute and the suggestions are quite similar because the previously mentioned metro lines also connect to the commuter train hubs that you will need to take.
From city center Madrid you will want to take the C4 Cercanias train (commuter train) which has a station in both Atocha and Sol. Living near these areas is helpful but also not necessary because there are three metro lines that connect to both of these stations. The light blue metro line 1 connects to both Atocha and Sol and the yellow line 3 connects to Sol. Additionally, the red metro line 2 connects to Sol which provides even more options.
The two recordings below describe the commute and what would be most convenient. The first highlights the commuter train C4 that stops in Getafe (Las Margaritas Universidad) and the metros that connect to its different stations. The second one looks at neighborhoods/areas the connecting metros run through.
Getting to the Comillas Campus:
If you are going to Comillas, there are three nearby metro stations (5 minute walk): Arguelles, Ventura Rodriguez & San Bernardo. Metro lines connecting to these three stations include the yellow metro line 3, red metro line 2, the gray metro line 6 or brown metro line 4. We recommend any central areas that connect to these lines within the inside of the M-30 highway.
Summary of central metro stops that could be convenient to live by:
The light blue metro line 1 stops: Rios Rosas, Iglesia, Bilbao, Tribunal, Sol, Tirso de Molina, Anton Martin, Estación de arte, Atocha, Menendez Pelayo
The red metro line 2 stops: Canal, Quevedo, San Bernardo, Noviciado, Santo Domingo, Opera, Sol, Sevilla, Banco de España, Retiro, Principe de Vergara
The yellow metro line 3 stops: Moncloa, Argüelles, Ventura Rodriguez. Plaza de España, Callao, Sol, Lavapies, Embajadores, Palos de la Frontera, Delicias, Legazpi
The brown metro line 4 stops: Argüelles, San Bernardo, Bilbao, Colón, Serrano, Velázquez, Goya, Lista, Diego de León
The gray metro line 6 stops: Moncloa, Argüelles, Principe Pio, Legazpi, O´Donell, Manuel Becerra, Avenida de America, Nuevos Ministerios
Click here to see the metro map and stops in more detail.
You will certainly have questions along the way. Many of your questions may be answered here. If not, be sure to email clarkinmadrid@umd.edu
- How do I get started?
- Join our housing webinar to learn more about provider platforms & important considerations
- Start researching which neighborhoods you might be interested in living in
- Using our commute guidance, search for convenient public transportation in your chosen neighborhoods
- Make a list of important amenities you are looking for in an apartment (air conditioning, private bathroom, etc.)
- How can I get in touch with the suggested provider companies?
- You can find their contacts on each of their pages on our Madrid Guide. They will also be shared during the Housing Webinar.
- Can I live with my friends from UMD or other universities?
- Yes! You can live with whomever you want.
- How do I find roommates?
- If you are looking for a roommate, you can use the program contact sheet that was shared with you to connect with others looking to form a housing group.
- We recommend talking to other students at the PDO since that is when you will meet other Madrid bound students.
- How do we book rooms or an apartment as a group?
- If you already have a roommate group established, you should reach out to the housing provider directly to let them know how many of you are planning to live together, what areas you want to be near, and for housing recommendations
- If you already know which apartment/or rooms you want to book, share the property details and the contact information of each roommate with the housing provider so they know you all plan to live together.
- When should I have my housing booked?
- Fall students should plan to have their housing secured by the end of May, Spring students by the end of November.
- What if I want to live closer to campus?
- You can live anywhere you would like. That being said, living on campus isn't common in Spain. Students typically commute to campus and live in the city center to take advantage of cultural activities.
- What if I want to book with a non-recommended provider company, or short term options like Airbnb/VRBO/etc?
- While we only recommend working with our vetted providers with whom we have contacts, students are responsible for arranging their own housing.
- It is important to thoroughly research and understand your options before making any booking.
- Please keep in mind that there are a lot of scams out there and if a housing issue were to arise with a non-recommended provider, we are limited in the support we are able to provide.
- How and when do I pay my rent?
- Your rental payment schedule, mode of payment and who you pay rent to will be dictated by your contract agreement and housing provider. Most people pay rent monthly, however some pay bimonthly. Usually, rent is paid by bank transfer and sometimes by card or in cash depending on the property manager or suggested provider you work with.
- What am I responsible for paying before moving into my apartment?
- Booking fee - paid through the housing company if they require one. Don´t forget to use a discount code if the company has one!
- Deposit & first month´s rent - The booking company usually holds this money then passes it to the property manager once your booking is confirmed or you move in. Your deposit will be returned to you at the end of your stay if the apartment is in the same condition as move-in.
- Administrative/landlord/contract fee- A one-time administrative fee sometimes charged by the property manager. This amount can vary.
- What should I do if my contract is in Spanish?
- If your contract is in Spanish you should run it through a translation site so you understand what you are signing. DeepL is a great translation resource. If you have any doubts or questions, make sure you speak to the property manager to clarify before signing the contract.
- What should I do if I want to cancel/change my booking?
- Make sure you have thoroughly reviewed the apartment information before moving forward with a booking. Once you have made the booking, if you decide to cancel you will most likely lose your booking fee.
- Communicate with your booking company to understand your options before canceling.
- Can I break my contract?
- Your housing contract is a legally binding document. It will be important to inform yourself of the consequences of breaking a contract by asking your property manager and looking at the terms of stay with the company you choose (Will you have to pay out the remainder of your rent? Is there a fee? Will you lose your deposit? etc.).
- What if my apartment doesn't match the description, is missing something important or something is broken?
- As soon as you enter your apartment, you have 24 hours to report any discrepancies or damages that were already there before you arrived. You should carefully inspect your apartment and room and send an email with details and photos/videos in this situation. Communicate with your landlord to try and resolve the situation. If needed, reach out to the housing providers for additional support.
- What should I do if an issue arises in my apartment?
- The first person you should contact is your property manager/landlord. They will be able to resolve issues faster than anyone else.
- If the property manager does not offer a solution or response in a reasonable amount of time, you should reach out to your booking company for assistance.
- If there is no reasonable solution after speaking with the property manager & booking company, reach out to the Madrid team for support!
- How do I deal with my UMD-based housing contract?
- If you live in on-campus accommodations (Res Halls), ending a contract for study abroad is permitted as long as you follow the appropriate procedures. Learn more here.
- If you lease off-campus housing or housing not managed by UMD (Commons/Courtyards), you might want to consider subletting your room. One way to do this is:
