Spanish · B1 (Intermediate)
Housing in Spanish: Words & Phrases
Quick answer: The most useful Spanish words for housing are el contrato de arrendamiento (the tenancy agreement), los gastos de comunidad (community / block charges) and la fianza (the security deposit). The full Spanish housing phrase list with example sentences is below.
The essential Spanish vocabulary for housing, with example sentences and English translations. This is B1 (Intermediate) material — exactly the kind of practical language you need when you're learning Spanish to live, work, or settle abroad.
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Key housing vocabulary
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el contrato de arrendamiento | the tenancy agreement |
| los gastos de comunidad | community / block charges |
| la fianza | the security deposit |
| la mudanza | the move |
| el desahucio | the eviction |
| el inventario | the inventory |
| la LAU | Spanish Urban Tenancies Act (Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos) |
| el certificado energético | the energy performance certificate |
| los gastos de suministros | utility costs |
| el piso compartido | the shared flat |
Example sentences
He firmado un contrato de arrendamiento de tres años.
I have signed a three-year tenancy agreement.
Los gastos de comunidad son 80 euros al mes.
The community charges are 80 euros per month.
La fianza equivale a una mensualidad.
The deposit equals one month's rent.
El desahucio está suspendido por el tribunal.
The eviction has been suspended by the court.
El inventario se hace al entregar el piso.
The inventory is done when handing over the flat.
Busco un piso compartido en el centro.
I am looking for a shared flat in the centre.
How to actually learn these
Reading a vocabulary list is not the same as being able to use the words when it counts. Research on adult language acquisition consistently shows that vocabulary retained through contextual use — hearing a word, producing it under mild pressure, and being corrected when you get it wrong — transfers to real speech far more effectively than passive list review. The fastest way to make vocabulary like this stick is to practise it in the actual conversations where it comes up: not drills, but a real back-and-forth where you have to retrieve the word and say it aloud. Language Lab turns vocabulary like this into voiced, real-life scenarios with Sonia, a live AI language tutor who holds real conversations, corrects you in context, and remembers the specific words you keep getting wrong across sessions. The vocabulary stops being something you read and becomes something you say — automatically, under pressure, when you actually need it.
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