According to the latest study by the Idealista portal, rental housing in the provinces of the Balearic Islands (29.1%), Alicante (27.4%), Malaga (25.7%) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (21.9%) generated significant interest among foreigners in the first quarter of 2025. Demand is particularly strong from citizens of European countries – such as Germany, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands and Italy – as well as the USA, Argentina, Morocco and Colombia.
In the Balearic Islands, most queries come from Germany (39%), well ahead of the United Kingdom (9%) and Italy (7%). In Alicante, the majority of searches originate from the Netherlands (14%), Germany (11%) and the United Kingdom (9%).
In third place is Malaga, where the most active audiences are the British (11%), Germans (10%) and the Dutch (9%). In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Germans (23%) outnumber Italians (19%) and the British (8%) in interest in renting on the western islands of the Canary archipelago.
The report notes that rental ads on Idealista in other “tourist provinces” – such as Las Palmas, Girona or Almeria – are also very popular with foreigners, with demand above 15%. Among the major housing markets, the largest share of visits to rental listings was recorded in Valencia (17%), ahead of Barcelona (15.3%), Madrid (9.1%) and Seville (8.1%).
US citizens most often preferred Valencia, Madrid and Seville (13–14%), while in Barcelona they ranked second (10%), behind only the French (11%). In the province of Valencia, Americans were joined by Germans (9%) and French (8%), and in Barcelona the top three also includes Italians (9%). In Madrid, searches from France (8%) and Italy (7%) stand out – as in Seville, with 11% and 9% respectively.
Among other nationalities, although all of them show demand below 10%, the interest of the Portuguese in the border areas is noteworthy. They lead visits in Badajoz (40%), Huelva (27%), Pontevedra (22%) and Ourense (15%). From Andorra, most interest is in rentals in Lleida (18%), while from Brazil it is in Valladolid (10%). Visits from Latin American countries – such as Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia and Cuba – top the lists in the inland provinces of Guadalajara, Toledo, Segovia and Avila.
