Rent prices in Fuerteventura spiral into absurdity

One‑bedroom houses in Puerto del Rosario go for €1,200 per month, townhouses in Parque Holandés fetch €3,500, 45 m² studios in La Asomada are listed at €600, and the “crown jewel” is a 20 m² dwelling advertised for €650 a month in a remote area near Cardón, Tuineje municipality, deep in the interior of Fuerteventura.

The rental market in the Canary Islands is in a critical state in 2026, with annual price increases of up to 12.8 % (averaging €15.23 per m²). This pressure has spawned a range of practices that tenants deem abusive or fraudulent, jeopardising both renters and the stability of the housing stock.

In the case of this house—clearly a prefabricated shack—the effective price per square metre is €32.50 per month. If the dwelling were 60 m², the rent would climb to €1,950. The accompanying photo shows the combined living‑room/kitchen space (or whatever the landlord calls it).

It is true that supply‑and‑demand dynamics create difficult situations for both landlords and tenants, but it is equally clear that renting “sub‑habitable” units at such rates reflects a severe housing crisis, an abusive price surge, and, above all, an unprecedented moral collapse. These dwellings lack the basic conditions required for a dignified life.

The rental market on Fuerteventura is bordering on the absurd, with some claiming that August is “destroying the lives of people who cannot afford a mortgage,” while others say the very notion of renting has “frozen people’s hearts.”

Promoting a rent‑generation model that forces people into sub‑habitable units shows that Fuerteventura is walking down the wrong path—a path of greed pursued by a few at the expense of the many, regardless of demand.

Definition of “sub‑habitable” (according to the Real Academia Española): a dwelling that lacks the minimum conditions necessary for habitation.

Numerous criteria are considered: ventilation, humidity, natural light, accessibility, and the actual usable floor area.

Across Spain, 30 m² is the statutory minimum, but autonomous communities also set their own rules…

Spanish national legislation establishes the minimum square metres a dwelling must have to be deemed habitable. Most autonomous communities have their own habitability laws and set the limits they deem appropriate.

Regions without a specific law rely on a Ministry of Governance order dating back to February 1944, which many experts consider outdated.

Murcia: The Highest Minimum Size

In the ranking of minimum‑size requirements for older or existing apartments, the region of Murcia tops the list with a 40 m² minimum for a dwelling to be considered habitable.

At the bottom of the list is Ceuta with a 20 m² minimum, followed by Andalusia (24 m²), Extremadura and the Canary Islands (25 m²).

Madrid ranks second with a legal minimum of 38 m², followed by Aragón (37 m²), Catalonia (36 m²) and the Basque Country (35 m²). The remaining autonomous communities adopt the national standard of 30 m² as the minimum floor area required for a dwelling to be occupied.

In the Balearic Islands, newly built apartments must have at least 40 m² of usable space to obtain the corresponding habitability certificate.