Get household costs and pet terms agreed before moving

A rental budget needs to show more than the monthly rent. Metered supplies, internet, valid service charges and the practical needs of pets can affect whether a home works for your household. Get the terms clear before signing, with each charge and permission attached to the actual tenancy.

This guide concerns household planning and current-source checks. It does not assume the same rules apply to every residential, temporary, tourist or commercial arrangement. Use the rental-contract guide to identify the proposed contract and obtain advice where the classification or a demand is unclear.

Ask for one complete payment schedule

Request the rent, deposit, any additional security, metered services and other proposed charges in writing. Identify the recipient, due date and evidence you will receive. Separate recurring costs from initial payments and refundable sums.

Ask what the quoted amount excludes. An inclusive-looking advertisement may still leave internet, electricity or another service to be arranged separately. A clear schedule makes it easier to compare homes without mistaking a smaller headline rent for a smaller total commitment.

Use finding a rental home and deposits and guarantees to organise the initial questions. Keep a reserve for moving and ordinary household costs rather than committing all available funds at signing.

Check current cost-allocation rules

The Urban Leases Act was checked on 27 October 2026, including the October amendments. Article 20 addresses different categories of housing-tenancy costs; older summaries may no longer describe the current wording.

For covered housing tenancies, the current text restricts passing housing-associated taxes to the tenant except where that person is the taxpayer, and restricts passing management and formalisation costs directly or indirectly. Obtain advice on the actual contract, dates and transitional position before accepting a disputed demand.

Do not treat every non-rent amount as the same category. The contract and law need to distinguish metered individual services, valid agreed general expenses, taxes, optional services and prohibited charges. A convenient invoice label does not settle the legal question.

Make metered supplies traceable

Record electricity, water and any other relevant readings at handover, with photographs where practical. Identify each meter and the account arrangement. Ask who receives bills, who pays the provider and how charges are evidenced.

If accounts remain in the owner’s name, agree how the household receives the underlying bill and how payment is recorded. If a transfer is required, check the provider’s process and the information needed. Do not assume a tenancy agreement automatically changes the account.

Use utilities to prepare the practical handover. A clear reading date helps distinguish the tenant’s consumption from earlier occupation, but it does not by itself resolve a faulty meter or disputed account balance.

Understand tariffs, capacity and normal use

Ask what equipment uses the most energy and how heating, cooling and hot water operate. Obtain relevant instructions and maintenance contacts. A previous occupant’s bill may be useful context without predicting your own household’s consumption.

Confirm whether the existing contracted service suits your needs and ask the provider about any proposed change. Do not promise savings from a tariff switch without comparing the actual terms, charges and usage pattern.

If the home includes a pool, irrigation or shared plant, establish which costs are private and which sit within community charges. The practical question is what your household must pay and maintain under the valid agreement, not simply what equipment is visible.

Check internet before relying on it for work

Ask whether internet is included, who contracts with the provider and what happens if service fails. If you must arrange it, obtain address-specific availability and installation information before assuming a preferred connection can be provided immediately.

Test mobile reception in the proposed work room and consider a backup if reliable calls are essential. A fast connection shown elsewhere in the building does not establish the service available to this home.

Use remote-working locations to connect connectivity with room layout, light and noise. Include equipment, installation and any valid cancellation costs in the household budget.

Get pet terms clear before committing

The Spanish consumer ministry’s pet-rental guidance asks:

¿Puede el contrato prohibirme tener mascotas en la vivienda alquilada?

Its answer explains that ordinary pet restrictions can be agreed in a rental contract. Do not assume animal-welfare recognition creates a general right to keep any pet in every rented home. Obtain advice on protected assistance-animal or disability-related circumstances rather than treating them as ordinary pet requests.

Describe the animals honestly and obtain the agreed position in the contract or a properly documented variation. A verbal assurance from an agent may not establish the owner’s consent or resolve a conflicting clause.

Check the building and local animal routine

Ask for relevant community rules and current local requirements affecting shared spaces and animal handling. Distinguish rules for the building from conditions of the tenancy. A landlord’s agreement does not remove lawful obligations elsewhere.

Walk the routine with the animal’s needs in mind: safe entrances, lifts, stairs, shade and suitable exercise routes. A nearby beach or open area is not automatically a lawful off-lead space or an area where animals may enter at all times.

Assess balconies, windows, garden boundaries and the indoor layout. Do not rely on a view from the advertisement to establish animal safety. If alterations are needed, obtain permission before fitting equipment that changes the property.

Keep pet damage and guarantees within the legal framework

Ask how damage is recorded and what the proposed security covers. Do not assume that a payment called a pet deposit sits outside the rules governing additional guarantees. The adviser should consider the total arrangement and applicable tenancy rules.

Record existing scratches, stains, damaged fittings and furniture condition at handover. Photographs and an agreed inventory help distinguish an existing issue from a later claim. Keep ordinary wear, actual damage and contractual responsibilities separate.

Use deposits and guarantees for the broader framework. An owner’s concern about animals does not make every proposed payment, insurance requirement or deduction automatically valid.

Agree repair reporting and emergency contacts

Identify who receives reports of leaks, appliance failure or another defect. Keep a written record with photographs and the time reported. Do not assume every repair belongs to the tenant or every small problem requires the owner to attend personally.

Ask about emergency access and what you may authorise if immediate action is needed. Keep animal arrangements in mind if a contractor visits while you are away. Share only the information needed for safe access and care.

The rental repairs guide helps distinguish the issues requiring advice. Avoid withholding rent or arranging substantial work without understanding the contractual and legal consequences.

Prepare for the end from the beginning

Agree how final readings, account changes, keys and condition will be recorded. Keep bills and payment evidence during the tenancy so the final reconciliation is not based on memory. Clean and document the home according to the valid obligations rather than accepting unexplained automatic deductions.

Use ending a tenancy for the notice and handover framework. Clear cost records and written pet terms make it easier to enjoy the home while reducing avoidable disagreement about what was agreed, consumed or damaged.

Keep permission changes documented

If the household’s animal arrangements change during the tenancy, raise the change before assuming an earlier agreement covers it. Record the owner’s response and any valid variation. Keep the same discipline for a change in included services: note the start date, amount and supporting terms rather than relying on a verbal conversation.