Rental Deposit (Fianza) in Valencia: How It Works (2026)
Handing over a deposit on a Valencia rental? The fianza is one month of rent for a housing lease. The landlord, not you, must lodge it with the Generalitat within one month of signing. You can ask fianarren@gva.es whether it was lodged. A landlord cannot require rent-default insurance, and any extra guarantee is capped.
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How much you pay
A housing lease needs a cash fianza of one month of rent. It is mandatory.
During the first five years of the lease, or seven if the landlord is a company, the fianza is not updated. At each extension the landlord can ask you to top it up, or you can ask to reduce it, to the then-current rent.
Extra guarantees
The parties may agree a guarantee on top of the cash fianza. It need not be lodged with the Generalitat.
On a housing lease of up to five years, or seven if the landlord is a company, it cannot exceed two months’ rent. On a temporary-housing lease it cannot exceed one month.
Royal Decree-law 29/2026 rewrote this paragraph and added the end-of-lease document rule below; it took effect on 8 October 2026. If you signed earlier, ask a lawyer which wording governs your lease.
En ningún caso podrá exigirse al arrendatario la contratación de seguros de impago de renta u otras coberturas análogas.
In no case may the tenant be required to take out rent-default insurance or similar cover.
BOE · LAU, art. 36.5
Where the money goes
The money does not stay with the landlord. In the Comunitat Valenciana the landlord must lodge the fianza with the Generalitat, where it stays until the lease ends. The LAU lets regions require this.
Las personas arrendadoras en los contratos de arrendamiento celebrados en el territorio de la Comunidad Valenciana, tienen la obligación de depositar la fianza ante la Generalitat Valenciana, donde quedará depositada hasta la finalización del contrato de arrendamiento.
Landlords in lease contracts made in the territory of the Comunidad Valenciana must deposit the fianza with the Generalitat Valenciana, where it stays until the lease ends.
Generalitat Valenciana · Tesorería FAQ · Decreto 46/2022
The deadline is one month after signing, and it runs from the day you hand the fianza to the landlord.
How the landlord lodges it
- Online with modelo 816, completed entirely by electronic procedure.
- In person with modelo 806 at a collaborating bank: Abanca, Sabadell, Santander, CaixaBank, Cajamar or Ibercaja.
- The landlord needs the cadastral reference of the property.
- The landlord does not need an account at the chosen bank.
If you only have a passport
Online modelo 816 accepts a passport number for the tenant. Modelo 806 does not. If you have only a passport, the landlord must lodge online with modelo 816.
Check that your deposit was lodged
Within 24 hours of lodging, the deposit documents are emailed to the address entered in the request. Ask the landlord for them.
To check with the Generalitat, ask in writing with a copy of the lease and a copy of your ID. Email fianarren@gva.es. The register is not public, and only the parties who signed the lease can ask.
You can also write to the Caja de Depósitos, C/ Palau, 12, 46003 València.
If the landlord did not lodge it
If the landlord never lodged it, file a written complaint at a registry office. Address it to the territorial secretariat in València (Secretaría Territorial de València) and attach a copy of the lease.
A landlord who lodges late pays a surcharge on the fianza, set by the delay after the voluntary deadline.
| Delay | Surcharge |
|---|---|
| Up to 3 months | 5% |
| 3 to 6 months | 10% |
| 6 to 12 months | 15% |
| More than 12 months | 20% |
Where the Administration finds the landlord never lodged it, it can open a file and charge a 20% surcharge plus late interest.
Changes, return and contacts
When the lease changes
A deposit belongs to one specific lease. When a new tenant joins, the landlord reclaims the first deposit and lodges a new one that includes the new tenant.
When a new lease replaces one that ends, the landlord reclaims the old fianza and lodges the new one. In both cases, ask your landlord to confirm in writing.
Getting it back
When the lease ends, both sides must sign a written document recording the home’s condition. Without it, or if it records no damage, the home is presumed returned in adequate condition unless proven otherwise.
The landlord owes legal interest on any balance not returned one month after you hand over the keys.
You cannot use the fianza to pay the last months of rent. It answers for damage the tenant may have caused to the property.
Who to contact
This guide is not legal advice.
- Deposit questions: fianarren@gva.es, or the Caja de Depósitos at C/ Palau, 12, 46003 València.
- A landlord who refuses to return the balance, or deducts for damage you dispute: ask a lawyer.
- The wider rules on leases: see the renting guide.
Photo credits
- The Generalitat palace in Valencia, where the regional government holds the deposit: Anual, Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab) (CC BY 3.0)
- The regional government keeps the fianza until the lease ends: Ymblanter, Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab) (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- A central square in Valencia: Zarateman, Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab) (CC0)
- A residential building on a central street in Valencia: Zarateman, Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab) (CC0)
Step by step
- Pay one month of rent as fianzaThe fianza is one month of rent for a housing lease.
- Ask for the deposit documentsThe landlord's deposit documents are emailed to the landlord within 24 hours of lodging.
- Check the depositEmail fianarren@gva.es with a copy of the lease and your ID.
- Complain if it was not lodgedFile a written complaint at a registry office with a copy of the lease.
- Sign the end-of-lease documentBoth sides sign a written record of the home's condition.
Not confirmed: Whether Congress validates Royal Decree-law 29/2026: it has thirty days from promulgation to vote, and no result is published yet. Check the BOE for the validation or repeal resolution. Read the consolidated LAU on the BOE on the day you sign, and ask a lawyer if the text differs.
Reach readers planning life in Valencia. Advertise → hello@settlevalencia.com
Common questions
How much is the rental deposit in Valencia?
One month of rent for a housing lease: the fianza is one month of rent for a housing lease. It is two months for a lease of something other than a home. The landlord may not demand advance payment of more than one month's rent on top of it.
Who holds my deposit?
The Generalitat: the landlord must lodge it there, and it stays until the lease ends. The landlord does this within one month after the contract is signed.
Can I use the fianza to pay my last months of rent?
No. The fianza has a specific purpose: to answer for damage the tenant may have caused to the property. Keep paying rent to the end of the lease.
What if the landlord asks for two months of deposit?
The fianza itself stays at one month for housing. A landlord can agree an extra guarantee with you. On a housing lease of up to five years, or seven if the landlord is a company, it is capped at two months' rent.
When do I get my deposit back?
At the end of the lease: both sides must sign a written end-of-lease document recording the home's condition. If the landlord has not returned your balance one month after you hand over the keys, it earns legal interest.
What if my landlord never lodged the deposit?
File a written complaint at a registry office, addressed to the territorial secretariat in València, with a copy of the lease. The Administration can charge the landlord a 20% surcharge plus late interest.
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General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
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