General Distribution: Rental housing demand is, on average, distributed with 52.4% in provincial capitals versus 47.6% in the rest of the province. This contrasts with the property sales market, where in 34 provinces, demand is greater outside the capital.
Higher Demand in Capitals (Rentals): In 36 provincial capitals, rental demand outweighs that of the rest of the province. Notable examples include:
- Teruel (61.7%)
- Palma de Mallorca and Huesca (61.5%)
- Huelva (60.9%)
- Castellón de la Plana (60.6%)
- Málaga (59.8%)
- Santa Cruz de Tenerife (57.2%)
- Guadalajara (56.1%)
- Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (53%)
- Alicante (52.3%)
- Zaragoza (52.1%)
- Seville (52%)
Higher Demand Outside Capitals (Rentals): In 14 provinces, rental demand is greater in towns outside the capital, although the differences are generally less marked than in property sales. Key cases include:
- Gipuzkoa (54.7% outside San Sebastián)
- Pontevedra (54.5% outside the capital, e.g., Vigo)
- Toledo (54%, e.g., towns near Madrid like Ocaña, Seseña, Illescas)
- Segovia (53.8%)
- Asturias (52.5%)
- Granada (52.8%)
- Madrid (52.4% in other municipalities)
- Barcelona (51.7% in surrounding towns)
- Biscay (51.9% outside Bilbao)
- Badajoz (51.7%)
- Cuenca (52.2%)
- Valencia (50.8% outside the capital)
- Salamanca (51%)
- Almería (50.5%)
Specific Cases in Major Markets:
Madrid Province:
52.4% of rental demand is concentrated in metropolitan municipalities, especially in the southern belt (Leganés, Móstoles, Fuenlabrada, Getafe, Parla, Valdemoro), where prices are significantly more affordable than in the capital (€1,613/month). Other notable areas include the Henares Corridor (Torrejón de Ardoz €1,024, Alcalá de Henares €976), the north (Alcobendas €1,127, San Sebastián de los Reyes €1,072), the southeast (Arganda del Rey €1,057, Rivas-Vaciamadrid €1,195), and the northwest (Collado Villalba €978).
Barcelona Province:
51.7% of rental demand is directed toward towns outside the Catalan capital. Key areas include municipalities in the metropolitan area such as Cornellà de Llobregat (€1,010), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (€1,190), and Santa Coloma de Gramenet (€1,160), as well as cities like Manresa (€720), Terrassa (€850), and Granollers (€1,000), all of which offer lower prices than Barcelona itself (€1,815).
