Renting in Barcelona without a nómina: what to show instead

Can you rent in Barcelona without a nómina?

A nómina is a payslip from an employer that runs payroll in Spain. Owners ask for it to make sure the tenant will be able to pay. The tenancy law contains no such requirement: the LAU deals with the deposit, guarantees, payments and costs, but does not list any income documents [1]. In Catalonia’s right to housing law, Llei 18/2007, we also found no list of documents the landlord is entitled to require, and no official statistics on what is accepted most often.

So a nómina is not mandatory, but the owner is free to refuse if they have not received proof that you can pay. The Generalitat advises tenants that monthly rent should not exceed a third of their income, and this guideline helps you understand what the owner is thinking about when asking for documents [3]. A foreigner without Spanish payroll has to show their income and its source in a way the owner understands and without breaking the law.

Which documents can replace a nómina?

The law gives no list, so below are options it makes sense to offer. Which of them will work is decided by the owner or the agency.

Catalonia has the Avalloguer programme, which covers owners for receipt of the rent [7]. We have not checked its conditions: ask the owner whether such cover suits them, but do not count on it as a ready solution.

What can legally be required instead of a nómina?

The law does not replace the nómina, but it limits what an owner may require from a residential tenant. The main limits are as follows.

Two conclusions follow. If you are asked to pay six months or a year in advance instead of a nómina, and the owner makes this a requirement, they are going beyond the limits of the LAU. And an agency that charges the tenant a “finding” fee where the law places the costs on the landlord is taking a risk: Catalonia’s Decreto ley 1/2025 classed such shifting of costs as a very serious infringement [2].

How can a foreigner put the documents together step by step?

1. First, work out what you have. Contract, employer’s letter, statements, tax documents, savings. If you are applying for a DNV, some of the documents have already been gathered for UGE: see proof of income for UGE.
2. Prepare a short cover letter. Where your income comes from, which account it is paid into, on what basis. This is not a legal document, but a guide for the owner on how to read your situation.
3. Put the set together as a PDF. The owner may ask for documents in Russian to be translated: we found no requirement to translate the tenant’s documents, but a lease in a foreign language must itself be translated into Catalan or Spanish when the deposit is lodged with Incasòl [5].
4. Decide what to offer on top. An aval or deposit within the legal limits, a guarantor, a longer lease term. Do not exceed the limits in the table above.
5. Check the owner and the flat before handing over scans. The Registro de la Propiedad will show who the owner is [6]. Ask for the cédula de habitabilidad, without which a home cannot be offered for rent [3], and the energy certificate, which the landlord must provide [6].
6. Check the terms of the lease. In a tensionado zone, which includes Barcelona, the lease must state the last rent of the previous 5 years or the price under the reference index, and whether the owner is a gran tenedor [2].
7. Get the deposit properly lodged. The landlord lodges the deposit with Incasòl within two months of signing [5]. Ask for proof that it has been lodged.

If you are still looking for a home, see how to find a flat in Barcelona and what to look for in a lease.

What if your income is irregular or comes from abroad?

This is where there are fewest standard solutions. If you work for a foreign client, your supporting documents will be contracts, invoices and statements for the account that receives the payments, plus your tax return for the last year in your country. If your income comes from a business, you need company details and statements. If you have no income yet, all that remains is to show your savings and offer an additional guarantee within the legal limits.

We have not found any official rules on which foreign documents owners must accept. Banks and documents the owner cannot check inspire less trust, and that is the owner’s decision, not a matter of law. So it is better to present one clear picture in advance: source of income, amount, account, frequency. If you need help with documents in Russian and their translations, see the documents and appointments with authorities service.

What data to hand over and to whom?

Reglamento (UE) 2016/679 requires data to be adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary (the data minimisation principle, art. 5.1.c) [8]. For you this means: do not send your passport, full statements and certificates straight away to everyone who replied to your enquiry. Before a viewing a general description is enough, and full documents are shown once you are sure the owner is genuine.

INCIBE lists the signs of a fraudulent listing: a price well below market, photos taken from other listings, an owner abroad who cannot show the flat and proposes payment through intermediaries, pressure of urgency, payment through money transfer services [9]. Any request to transfer money before a viewing and checks is a signal to stop.

What are the most common mistakes when renting without a nómina?

• Offering a year’s rent in advance instead of proof of income. The owner is not entitled to require more than one month’s rent in advance [1]. Money paid in advance is not protected by the deposit lodged with Incasòl.
• Editing or forging documents. This is unacceptable: we do not prepare or advise on such documents. It is better to show less, but honestly.
• Paying the agency a fee the owner should pay. Under the LAU, the costs of the agency and of drawing up the contract fall on the landlord [1].
• Agreeing to a “temporary” contract with no reason. Under Llei 11/2025, the purpose of a temporary contract must be stated and proven; otherwise it is presumed to be a permanent housing contract [4]. From 08.10.2026, a genuine reason for the temporary nature is also mandatory under Article 9 bis LAU (Real Decreto-ley 29/2026), and the term of such a contract is, as a rule, no longer than 12 months [10].
• Paying the deposit in cash without a receipt. The deposit is lodged with Incasòl, and the landlord must issue documents for payments [5][1].
• Sending passport and bank scans to everyone. This goes against the data minimisation principle [8].
• Not checking the owner against the register. The tenant is entitled to check in the Registro de la Propiedad that the flat is being let by its owner, and to make sure that a representative holds a notarised authorisation to act (poder notarial) [6]. How to order an extract: nota simple online.

When do you need an individual review?

If the owner refuses because of the format of your documents, if you are offered non-standard terms, or if you are signing through an agency, it makes sense to show the set and the lease to a specialist before signing. Foreigners whose income comes from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan or Ukraine should especially find out in advance which documents the owner will be able to check. This depends on your case, and we do not give a general rule.

How we can help

The ReloVictory team in Barcelona helps you put together a set of documents for renting, prepare translations and a cover letter, check the lease against the LAU and Catalan rules, and suggest which questions to ask the owner. We do not promise that the owner will accept the documents and do not replace their decision. The first 15 minutes of a consultation are free, a full 45-minute consultation costs €121, translations and fees are paid separately. To book: consultation. If you are moving on a DNV, see the digital nomad residence permit service and the DNV route card.

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ReloVictory · Sources reviewed 02.10.2026 · Not a substitute for individual legal advice.