# Rent a flat

> What to check before you sign a rental contract in Euskadi, and how your landlord must lodge your deposit.

- Page: https://autonomo.eus/steps/rent-a-flat
- Part: Part B: Settle in
- For: Everyone
- Last checked: 14 October 2026

Your rental contract is the document most people use to register their address. **In Euskadi, your landlord must lodge your deposit (*fianza*) with the Basque Government.**

## Before you start

- Your TIE, EU registration certificate or passport

## What it unlocks

- [Register your address at the town hall](https://autonomo.eus/steps/padron)

## How to do it

1. Before you sign, check that the contract is in your name.
2. In Bilbao, make sure the contract lasts at least 6 months and that everyone on it signs.
3. Pay the deposit: 1 month's rent for a home.
4. Within 1 month of signing, your landlord must lodge the deposit with Bizilagun and give you a copy of the receipt (*resguardo*). The landlord does this on the [Basque Government's deposit page](https://www.euskadi.eus/fianzas-de-alquiler/web01-a2bizila/es/), with "CREAR nueva solicitud" (create a new request), or at a Zuzenean office. The landlord needs a signed copy of the contract and a copy of the property tax receipt (*IBI*). Bizilagun sends the landlord two copies of the receipt. One is for you.
5. If you don't get the receipt, ask for it. Bizilagun can also give you a copy. To reach Bizilagun, call 012 (945 018 000 from outside Euskadi), choose "para cualquier otra consulta" (any other question), stay on the line and ask for a Bizilagun appointment.

## Renting a room

If you rent a room without your own contract, you need written permission from the owner, or from a tenant registered there, to register at the address.

The landlord's duty to lodge a deposit does not cover rooms, storage rooms or garages.

## Where

[Bizilagun](https://www.euskadi.eus/fianzas-de-alquiler/web01-a2bizila/es/) is the Basque Government's public service for rental deposits. It is free and also gives advice and mediation between tenants and landlords.

- Phone: 012, or 945 018 000 from outside Euskadi. Ask for a Bizilagun appointment. If you choose the option for an in-person appointment, you get a Zuzenean appointment instead.
- [Book free legal advice online](https://www.euskadi.eus/web01-citabiz/es/aa14aUIWar/bizilagun/aa14aInit.jsp?lang=es). The advice is a phone call at the time you book, or a visit to the housing office in your territory.
- [Send a general question](https://www.euskadi.eus/web01-sedeform/es/x43kToolkitWar/form/fdp?procedureId=1013901&tipoPresentacion=1&language=es) with the online form. You do not need to identify yourself.
- [All Bizilagun contact options](https://www.euskadi.eus/contacta-con-bizilagun/web01-a2bizila/es/). For Zuzenean offices, see [Find an office](https://autonomo.eus/steps/offices#contact-zuzenean).

## Cost and time

- Deposit: 1 month's rent for a home.
- Lodging the deposit with Bizilagun is free, and the deposit earns no interest.
- If the landlord lodges it late, Bizilagun adds a surcharge of 2% of the deposit, or 10% after a formal demand.

## Common mistakes

- Signing a contract the town hall will not accept for the padrón, such as one shorter than 6 months in Bilbao.
- Not keeping the deposit receipt.

## Official sources

- [Bizilagun: rental deposits](https://www.euskadi.eus/fianzas-de-alquiler/web01-a2bizila/es/)
- [Bizilagun: deposits for landlords with an agreement (régimen concertado)](https://www.euskadi.eus/web01-a2bizila/es/contenidos/informacion/fianzas_regconcert_2019/es_def/index.shtml)
- [Bizilagun: information and mediation](https://www.euskadi.eus/web01-a2bizila/es/contenidos/informacion/infor_eta_bitart/es_def/index.shtml)
- [Bizilagun: contact](https://www.euskadi.eus/contacta-con-bizilagun/web01-a2bizila/es/)
- [Basque Government: deposit rules](https://www.euskadi.eus/contenidos/informacion/ovv_fianzas/es_ovv_admi/adjuntos/General.pdf)

Next step: [Register your address at the town hall](https://autonomo.eus/steps/padron.md)

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Free, independent information. Not an official government website or a gestoría. General information, not legal, immigration or tax advice. Confirm current requirements with the authority before you act. Report a mistake: a@halawa.io. Source: Autónomo.eus (https://autonomo.eus).