HOUSING: Questions to ask

Good questions to ask over the phone:
Of course, you don’t want to sound like a surveyor, but some things you might want to consider asking over the phone are:

Interior or Exterior: This will be a new concept to newbies to Spain. Simply put, an exterior room has a window looking outwards, whereas interior rooms may either have no window, or have one virtually stuck to a wall. If you crave light and breeze, avoid interior rooms.
What’s the nearest metro? / ¿Cual es el metro mas cercano? Barcelona's metro system is extensive, so it is highly unlikely that there won't be a metro nearby. Knowing which one it is helps you calculate how easy it will be for you to move around the town and communte.
When is it available? ¿Cuando estará disponible? Rooms usually become available at the beginning of the month. But check. It also gets the person talking so you go getting an idea of your potential flatmate.
Get talking to the person, especially if it sounds good.
Expenses included? Gastos incluidos?: If they don’t how much are they are what do they include? Expenses usually include electricity, gas, water and community expenses. Ask if they include internet (ADSL or Wifi) and line rental. Usuallly your phone calls are billed separately.
Lift / elevator / ascensor? Some older apartment buildings do not have a lift…if the flat is on the 3rd floor (4th in reality as they don’t include the mezannine) you’ll save on gym membership, but just ensure you share the grocery shopping trips. As people tend to buy bottled water, carrying it up 4 floors becomes, quite frankly…a pain in the you know where.
Is it a smoker’s flat / ¿Es un piso de fumadores?: More important for non-smokers.
Furnished / amueblado: How is the room furnished (build in closets, armarios emportrados. Does it have a desk, chair, bookshelf? This question also allows you to gauge the size of the room.
Pets / Mascotas: If you suffer from allergies ask about “Animales de compania / mascotas”, ie: pets

Questions to ask when you visit a flat:
Are you the owner or are you renting? ¿Eres el propietario o alquilas? If the answer is the latter, and they are very likely to be tenants and not owners, ask them when the contract terminates. There have been cases in which the other tenant left just before the end of the lease, and they are looking for someone to pay the last 3 months of the lease.

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