The apartment housing option includes living in a central apartment with other students from the program.
As you will be living with other students, it's important to keep in mind that you will be responsible for cleaning up after yourself and cooking your own meals. Your apartment should be a comfortable place for you and your roommates to eat, sleep, relax, and study.
With the apartment option, it is very important to remember that you are living in a residential area of the city, not on a college campus. Be respectful to your roommates and neighbors - the walls in Barcelona are very thin, so it's important that you gather with friends outside of your flat, especially at night during quiet time.
For more information, see the Housing Rules & Regulations form you signed upon arrival here.
If you have any housing issues, please follow the instructions that appear here to let us know.
Moving apartments after the program has started is extremely unlikely. If experiencing issues, please contact the Housing Team ASAP so we can work together to solve any problems.
A national law in Spain enforces quiet hours from 10pm to 8am every night. Remember that you will be living in a residential area and will have local neighbors. Neighbors will have no hesitation in calling the police if you are keeping them awake. Keep the noise down in your apartment, hallways, and stairwells during this time.
This includes keeping your voice and music down, not wearing high-heels inside, or moving heavy things during these hours.
Parties, smoking, and having overnight guests in the apartment is strictly prohibited. Breaking this rule will mean program warnings and/or additional fees.
Overnight guests means anyone who is not on the lease and is in your apartment during Barcelona's quiet hours (10pm - 8am).
If any problems arise related to having guests in the house (including, but not limited to, stolen or broken items), you will be held responsible for it.
Be respectful of your roommates and work together to communicate and solve any conflicts. Our onsite staff is also here to help if necessary!
Students must sleep in the bedroom they have been assigned to. No bedroom changes can be made without permission from the housing department.
If there are any spare beds in your apartment, they must be kept clean and set up to welcome a new participant at any time (the Housing Coordinator will notify you well in advance). You cannot use these beds.
Students cannot move furniture inside the apartment without permission.
Remember that you are an ambassador of your country and that there have been huge protests in recent years against letting students rent apartments. Change the stereotype - be polite to your neighbors, say hello when you see them in the halls, and don't disturb them at night!
Why don't we allow guests?
There are lots of reasons for this rule, and we're not trying to be unfair! We have many examples of guests gone wild that we don't want to repeat. Want some examples? We've had students' guests steal from other students, had sexual harassment complaints about a roommate's friend who was visiting, loads of noise complaints from neighbors, theft due to guests leaving doors or windows unlocked, higher utility bills (due to having more people in the apartment) and therefore higher costs for all roommates.
Please, ask your visiting friends and family to stay in a hotel or vacation apartment and everyone will be happier! Here are some more tips for visitors!
No smoking in the apartments.
No pets or real plants are allowed in the apartments.
It is strictly forbidden to throw any object or substance from windows, balconies, terraces or roofs. This includes keys, cigarette butts, liquid, trash, and anything else (big or small).
You must clean up after yourself whenever you cook. No meals are provided in apartments, so you will be responsible for your own cooking and cleaning. Dishes should be done immediately after each meal. Don't forget to clean food out of the drain, to prevent the kitchen from getting smelly.
Keep your personal items out of common areas. You will have a designated space in your bedroom to keep your things. As the common areas are a shared space, they need to be clean and comfortable for you and all your roommates.
You will need to purchase your own detergent, toilet paper and other disposable goods. Sharing these costs with roommates is a good idea, as long as you each use a roughly equal amount!
You will be responsible for doing your own laundry. All housing options are provided with a washing machine, although dryers are basically unheard of in Spain.
Take the garbage out every day. Look for the closest trash containers on your street. Recycle plastic, paper and glass separately and correctly. This will keep bugs and unpleasant smells away!
Sweep and mop regularly.
Should you bring bed bugs to your apartment, you are solely responsible for the cost of a professional exterminator. Bear in mind that this is very expensive, so make sure you check the reviews of all hostels, hotels, and Airbnbs before booking your trip accommodations.
Keep the bathroom clean and the drains unblocked. Especially if you have long hair, remove hair from the shower drain. Most showers in Spain have a sort of filter that prevents hair from going down the drain, but needs to be cleaned out every 2 weeks or so.
A cleaning service will come to clean up common areas (like the kitchen, bathroom, and living room). You must tidy up, take out the trash, and do your dishes before they come. You are responsible for cleaning your own room and washing your bed linen and towels.
Do not carry your keys and address in the same place. If your keys are lost or stolen and you were carrying the address of the apartment with you, please notify the emergency phone, as we will need to have all the locks changed and cut new keys for everyone in the apartment. This needs to be done as soon as possible to ensure your safety. All costs will also be charged to the participant.
You must double-lock your doors every time you leave the apartment. This means that not only the handle lock should be locked, but also the deadbolt. Make sure doors and windows are closed. Neither the study abroad company nor the housing company will be responsible for any stolen items.
If you lose the keys to your apartment, report it as a housing incident by contacting the Housing Team. We will make new copies for you (and change the locks if needed) and will add the charge to your account. If you do not give your keys back and leave Barcelona, the replacement cost will be charged.
If you lock yourself out of your apartment over the weekend, you will have to pay for the locksmith to come and let you back in. This will cost about 175€ per door (depending on the apartment agency). If this happens during the week (Monday to Friday between 9 am and 6 pm, not holidays) and we can send someone from the agency to let you in, it will cost you around 50€ (depending on the apartment agency).
The use of alcohol should be kept to Spanish culturally appropriate amounts. Disrespectful behavior related to alcohol consumption will end up in dismissal from your program housing and you will have to find your own housing at your own expense.
Illegal drugs (including cannabis) are strictly prohibited by the program and will result in a red card and expulsion from the program if found in the apartments. If found in common areas, ALL roommates will be given a red card, and the responsible will be expelled.
Read more about our Alcohol and Drug Use Policy here.
Utility bills (for water, gas, and electricity) are very expensive in Spain. A certain amount of electricity and water usage is allotted to each apartment. If the gas, water, or electricity bill exceeds this amount, the students will be notified and will pay the difference after the program ends. Always turn off lights, appliances, and electronics when you leave the apartment or when you are not in the room.
Heating and air conditioning should be used sparingly. NEVER leave heating or air conditioning units on while you are not home. Before turning on the AC or heating unit, try to find another solution. For example, open a window to cool the apartment down, or put on warm fuzzy socks if you're cold! If you must have the AC or heat on when you are sleeping, keep it low. Be sure all windows are securely closed before turning the heat or AC on.
Showers should not last longer than 10 minutes. There are severe water shortage issues in Spain (especially in the summer months) and all residents are encouraged to limit their water usage.
Recycling bins are found all over the city. Students should recycle paper, plastic, and glass correctly. Most neighborhoods also have an organics bin to separate organic trash from normal trash.
Report any leaky faucets or running toilets to your apartment's housing agency.
Any costs (for damages, lost keys, excess utilities, etc.) will be charged to the participants after the program ends*. Some have paid for a housing deposit, which will be partly or fully refunded upon completion of your program*.
*This could take between 10-12 weeks after your program has finished, as all of the housing contracts are processed.
Students should leave the apartment in the same condition as they found it. If extra time is needed to clean the apartment, students will be charged for it.
Students will have to pay for any damage done to the apartment (doors, walls, floors, furniture, kitchen supplies, washing machine, bedbugs treatment, etc.).
Key replacement fees may be applied to any lost or stolen keys (please note that replacement keys can cost up to €100). If a locksmith is necessary, students will have to pay for the service upfront at the moment the locksmith opens the apartment.
Utility use (including water, electricity, and gas) that exceeds the allotted amount will be paid by the students.
If you bring bed bugs to your apartment, you will be solely responsible for the costs incurred (professional exterminator, dry-cleaning your clothes, furniture replacement, etc). Keep in mind that this is super expensive. Tips here.
You must leave your housing by the time listed on your housing confirmation letter on the last day of your program. You can find your housing letter in your email to reconfirm your check out date and time.
You cannot stay in the housing or store any items in the housing after the check out date and time. Click here for places to store luggage.
You need to leave your housing in the same state that it was when you moved in. Clean up, remove all food and garbage, remove all personal items, etc.
Strip your bed and leave the towels and bedding on top of your bed when you leave.
Please remember that you will be charged for any damages. See more info above in the Financial Liability section.
You must leave your keys in the silverware drawer in the kitchen with your name on them (please use a post it or envelope). If you have lost any keys to the apartment, you will be charged for them. Remember that it is important to report lost keys before the program ends. You can find out more information about what to do if you lose your keys here.
If you have any clothing, books, or electronics that you do not want to bring home, feel free to donate them. More info here.