According to the latest study by the Idealista portal, rental housing in Spain’s Balearic Islands (29.1%), Alicante (27.4%), Malaga (25.7%), and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (21.9%) provinces attracted significant interest from foreign renters during the first quarter of 2025. Demand is especially strong from European nationals—including Germany, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and Italy—as well as from the USA, Argentina, Morocco, and Colombia.
In the Balearic Islands, German renters dominate inquiries, accounting for 39% of searches, followed by the United Kingdom at 9% and Italy at 7%. Alicante’s rental market sees the majority of interest coming from the Netherlands (14%), Germany (11%), and the United Kingdom (9%).
Malaga ranks third, with British renters leading at 11%, followed closely by Germans (10%) and the Dutch (9%). In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, German renters (23%) outnumber Italians (19%) and British (8%) in their search for rental properties across the western Canary Islands.
The report also highlights that other tourist-heavy provinces such as Las Palmas, Girona, and Almeria maintain strong foreign rental demand, exceeding 15%. Among Spain’s major urban housing markets, Valencia recorded the highest share of visits to rental listings at 17%, followed by Barcelona (15.3%), Madrid (9.1%), and Seville (8.1%).
US citizens show a strong preference for Valencia, Madrid, and Seville, with rental search shares ranging between 13% and 14%. In Barcelona, Americans rank second (10%) behind the French (11%). In the Valencia province, American renters are joined by Germans (9%) and French (8%), while in Barcelona, Italians (9%) complete the top three nationalities. Madrid’s rental market sees notable interest from France (8%) and Italy (7%), a pattern mirrored in Seville with 11% and 9% respectively.
Other nationalities, although generally below 10% in demand, display notable regional preferences. Portuguese renters dominate border provinces such as Badajoz (40%), Huelva (27%), Pontevedra (22%), and Ourense (15%). From Andorra, rental interest is primarily focused on Lleida (18%), while Brazilian renters show a preference for Valladolid (10%). Latin American countries—including Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, and Cuba—lead rental inquiries in inland provinces like Guadalajara, Toledo, Segovia, and Avila.