Tenant placement and vetting in Marbella is the process of marketing your furnished property, screening applicants, and signing a compliant contract so the right tenant moves in. For a long-term let, the placement fee is typically one month's rent plus 21% IVA, and a full vetting normally takes one to three weeks from listing to signed agreement. Get the tenant right and a long-term or mid-term let becomes some of the most predictable income a Costa del Sol property can produce.

Unlike a holiday let, a long-term or mid-term rental needs no tourist licence, which makes it a natural fit for owners in Nueva Andalucia and Benahavis communities that restrict nightly stays. The trade-off is that you hand over your home to one household for months at a time, so the quality of the screening matters far more than it does for a two-night guest.

What does tenant placement actually include?

A proper placement service does more than post an advert. It sets the right monthly rent from live comparable listings, produces professional photography, and handles enquiries so you are not fielding messages at all hours. In our experience, furnished two-bed apartments in Nueva Andalucia let long-term for roughly 1,800 to 2,500 euros a month, while a three-bed villa near the beach in Elviria can command 3,000 euros and up depending on the plot and pool.

The placement fee reflects the work involved. For a long-term contract of 12 months or more, the fee is one month's rent plus IVA and is paid by the owner. For a mid-term "temporada" let of one to 11 months, that same one-month fee is paid by the tenant instead. That single difference changes your net position, so it is worth confirming before you list.

A vacant furnished flat in Marbella still costs you community fees, IBI, and utilities every month. A signed 12-month tenant turns that drain into steady income within weeks.

How do you vet a tenant properly?

Vetting is where placement earns its fee. A thorough check on the Costa del Sol confirms that an applicant can pay, will stay, and will look after your home. For remote professionals and relocating families, who make up a large share of mid-term demand between November and April, we also confirm the length and purpose of their stay. A solid screening usually covers:

  • Proof of identity, passport, or NIE
  • Evidence of income, typically three to six months of payslips or bank statements showing rent at no more than a third of net income
  • Employment confirmation or, for the self-employed, recent tax returns
  • Previous landlord references where available
  • A deposit of one to two months plus the first month's rent held before keys are handed over

Deposits on residential lets in Andalusia are lodged with the regional housing authority, which protects both sides if there is a dispute at the end of the term. Skipping any of these steps to fill a property faster is a false economy.

The goal is simple: a tenant who pays on time, treats the home as their own, and stays for the full term. A rushed placement that skips references is the single most common reason a long-term let goes wrong. We would rather leave a property empty one extra week than sign the wrong household into a 12-month contract.

Which contract is right for your property?

Spanish law separates two main options. A temporada (seasonal) contract covers one to 11 months and suits owners who want the flat back for the summer or who prefer furnished, flexible lets. A long-term contract of 12 months or more falls under the Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos and gives the tenant stronger renewal rights, which is ideal if you want maximum stability and minimal turnover.

Choosing between them depends on your goals. Owners with a seasonal vacancy gap often run short-term lets in peak summer and a temporada tenant through the quiet months. Owners who simply want reliable income with no day-to-day involvement usually prefer a straight long-term let. Our long-term rental management service handles either route from valuation to move-in.

Whichever contract you pick, a clear, professionally drafted agreement protects you. It should state the rent, the review clause, who pays which utilities and community fees, the inventory condition, and the notice terms. A vague contract copied from the internet is the second most common cause of long-term let disputes we see across Benahavis and Marbella.

What does Premavista charge, and what do you get?

At Premavista, tenant placement is one month's rent plus IVA, and optional full management is 10% of the monthly rent plus IVA, paid by the owner. That management layer covers rent collection, the annual inventory, coordination of repairs through our vetted maintenance contacts, and a single point of contact for the tenant, so you are not woken by a broken boiler in San Pedro de Alcantara or Estepona. We serve owners across Marbella, Nueva Andalucia, San Pedro, Benahavis, Estepona, and Elviria.

Because we run presential check-ins and keep boots on the ground across the Golf Valley and beyond, we meet every prospective tenant in person before recommending them to you. That local, boutique approach is hard to replicate from a call centre, and it is the reason our placed tenants tend to renew.

If you are weighing a long-term or mid-term let for your Marbella property, start with a free rental valuation. Visit premavista.com/contact.html or message us on WhatsApp at +34 600 543 173 and we will tell you what your home could realistically earn and how quickly we can place a vetted tenant.