Murcia's rental crunch: More bidders, higher rents and fewer homes available
Demand pressure has surged, with almost 40 people chasing each long term rental property, as the region’s rental stock keeps shrinking
For many people living in the Region of Murcia, buying a home can now cost less each month than renting, but the growing rental squeeze is making that choice feel even more out of reach for those who must stay in the lettings market.Long term rental stock in the region has fallen by 4.1% over the past year, losing 781 homes and ending 2025 with only 18,443 units on the market. That is a far cry from the 22,101 available homes recorded in 2019, and the steady decline is tightening supply just as household numbers are projected to grow fast toward 2039.
At the same time, demand pressure has shot up. The latest Rental Barometer, prepared by the observatory of the Safe Rental Foundation (Alquiler Seguro), shows that almost 40 people are now registering interest in each long term rental property within ten days, a level that has more than quadrupled since 2019. This intense competition helps explain why the average monthly rent in the region now stands at €775, a 7% rise on 2024.
David Caraballo, CEO of Alquiler Seguro, warns that the Murcia rental market is at a turning point. “The Murcia rental market is at a turning point; it faces a major housing challenge, and the response cannot be inaction on the supply side,” he said, stressing that public authorities must step in rather than leaving the burden on individual tenants and landlords.
Tenants are already feeling the pinch. In 2024, renters in the region allocated an average of 28% of their net income to rent, figures that are below the national average but still show clear strain. Caraballo stresses that tenants are “unable to afford higher rents without compromising basic needs,” suggesting that the current stability is less about healthier finances and more about people being pushed right up to their limit.
Rent arrears are rising too, hitting small landlords hardest. The average amount of unpaid rent in the region reached €7,256 by the end of 2025, an increase of 21% on the previous year. Murcia now sits at the top of the national ranking for months of rent owed, with unpaid arrears often stretching beyond nine months. “We cannot allow individual landlords to see long term rentals as a risky activity,” Caraballo said, calling for policy frameworks that guarantee payment and reduce fear of non payment among small scale owners.
These developments sit alongside our earlier report that mortgage payments in the city of Murcia can now be about 27% lower each month than typical rents, even though buyers still need tens of thousands of euros saved to qualify for a loan. As the rental market tightens, that tension between “buying cheaper” on paper and the real life hurdle of the deposit becomes ever clearer for prospective homeowners and long term renters alike.
Image: Tierra Mallorca/Unsplash
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