Rent aid for young people in Spain (Plan 2026-2030)

Who runs it

The royal decree sets the framework, but article 1.5 says the plan applies in each autonomous community and in Ceuta and Melilla “que así lo deseen” (that wish it), by signing an agreement with the ministry, “con excepción del País Vasco y Navarra”. Regions then publish calls, which according to article 138 are to be open continuously, and pay the aid, normally in periodic instalments to the tenant (article 131 allows payment to the landlord if the granting body decides). In short, whether you can apply today, the form and the budget left depend on your region’s call. This guide could not check which regions have signed or opened a call.

Conditions in the royal decree

Articles 132 to 139 govern the youth rent aid. To be a beneficiary under article 133 you must be an adult individual who meets all of the following:

1. Contract. You hold, or are in a position to sign, a residential lease under the tenancy law (LAU), a use-assignment contract, or a rental of a room; for a room the LAU form is not required. If the lease is not yet signed, it must be signed within two months of notice of the grant.
2. Age. Under 35, “incluida la edad de treinta y cinco años”, at the time of applying. In plain terms, you may be 35 when you apply.
3. Residence. The home or room is, or will be, your habitual and permanent residence, normally shown by a certificate of registration at the town hall (empadronamiento).
4. Income. Annual income at or below 5 times the IPREM (the public indicator used for benefits), or 5.5 times for a person with a recognised disability of 33% or more or a child of a victim of gender violence, and 6 times for disability of 65% or more. The IPREM value is not given here because it was not read from an official source for this guide.
5. Rent. Not more than €1,000 a month for a home, €600 for a room; in municipalities or settlements of 10,000 inhabitants or fewer, €500 and €250. Regions may raise these ceilings under article 135, with the ministry’s agreement, based on updated studies of the local market.

You are excluded if you own or hold a usufruct over a home in Spain (with exceptions where you can show it is unavailable, for example after separation or divorce, or where it is inaccessible because of disability), if the landlord is a first- or second-degree relative by blood or marriage, or if you are a partner or shareholder of the landlord, with a cooperative exception (article 133.2).

The royal decree article does not set a nationality condition. Any further requirement would be in your region’s call, which was not read.

Amount and duration

Article 137: the aid is a maximum of €300 a month for a home and €200 for a room, capped at 60% of the monthly rent or price. This is a ceiling, not a fixed payment. For example, as a calculation only: on a rent of €400, 60% is €240, so the monthly aid could not exceed €240; on a rent of €1,000, the cap of €300 binds.

The aid is granted for two years, and the region may extend it by up to two additional years if the conditions continue to be met (article 134). You must report changes at once, and if you move within the same region and sign a new lease without a break, you keep the aid provided the new home also meets the conditions, with the amount capped at what you were already receiving (article 133.3). It cannot be combined with any other rent aid under this plan or granted by regions, local entities or other public bodies (article 136), apart from exceptions for particular vulnerable groups.

The Bono Alquiler Joven

The earlier plan 2022-2025 was regulated by Royal Decree 42/2022, which created the Bono Alquiler Joven. The 2026 decree recalls that the previous plan’s period has ended and replaces it with the new one. Some deadlines of the old plan were extended by provisions of the 2026 decree, so you may still see calls or payments under the old name, but it is not the programme that new applications are made under. Check with your region which scheme it is calling.

A related aid: buying in small towns

The same plan has a separate subsidy for young people buying or building a home in a municipality of 10,000 inhabitants or fewer (articles 140 onwards); a region may extend it to 20,000 under conditions. It is not a rent aid and is not covered in detail here.

Tied to the rent rules

Aid applies on top of the lease rules: rent increases (see rent increases in Spain) and the deposit (see the rental deposit) work as for any tenant. If your lease is in a declared stressed area, see stressed housing market areas.

Which professional to consult

The authority is the housing department of your region; the call tells you where to apply and which documents are accepted. A lawyer registered with a Spanish bar association (colegio de abogados) can read the call against your contract. Payotte does not list lawyers.