Asking rents across Alicante province have reached an all-time high on idealista’s series. The platform says growth is starting to moderate, but also warns that tighter rules on landlords could shrink supply further.
The numbers
Idealista’s latest report, covering September, puts the average asking rent in Alicante province at €12.7 per m² per month. That is 7.1% higher than a year earlier and the highest figure in the platform’s records for the province.
- Alicante city: €13.9/m², up 5.9% on September 2025.
- Comunitat Valenciana: €13.2/m², up 6% year on year, with a 0.7% rise on the quarter but a 0.4% dip over the last month.
- Valencia province: €14.2/m² (+5%). Valencia city is at €16.3/m² (+3.1%) but fell 0.8% over the quarter.
- Castellón province: €9.4/m², up 9.5%, the biggest provincial rise in the region.
- Spain: €15.1/m², up 5.6% and close to its record, though prices fell 0.4% in the third quarter.
Among the larger markets in the report, only Palma (+7.3%) rose faster than Alicante. Madrid was up 4.8%, Málaga 3.9% and Seville 3.5%.
A sign of moderation
Idealista’s spokesperson, Francisco Iñareta, argues that price growth is beginning to moderate. The quarterly figures bear that out: Spain’s national rent index slipped in the third quarter, and Valencia city’s did too. Annual growth in Alicante is still running well ahead of the national average.
The supply warning
Iñareta ties the difficulty of finding a home to a shrinking supply of rentals. Idealista’s position is that rental policy should focus on increasing the number of homes available, and that new restrictions on landlords could reduce supply further.
That is the same argument Balearic estate agents have made about the government’s housing decrees. Those decrees now face a Diputación Permanente vote. The rental-renewal decree is due to take effect on 15 November, but only if it is validated.
A methodology note
Idealista changed its index methodology in July 2026. It now excludes seasonal and holiday lets and strengthens its detection of outliers, and it applied the new method to the whole historical series. The figures are asking rents, so they show what landlords are requesting, not necessarily the rents on signed contracts.
NLS Analysis
Alicante is catching up from a low base. Its province-wide rent of €12.7/m² remains far below Málaga province’s €18.80/m² in idealista’s September data, a gap of about 48%. The Costa Blanca is the more affordable of the two coastal markets, but it is closing the distance, with year-on-year growth of 7.1% against 5.7% for Málaga province.
International demand is part of the story. Registradores data for the second quarter showed foreign buyers accounting for 46.43% of Alicante province’s purchases, the highest share in Spain. Many of those buyers let their homes, which links the sales market to rental supply.
Illustrative only. Annualising the asking rents (€12.7 × 12 = €152.40/m²) and comparing them with the registered average sale price (€2,267/m²) gives a rough gross figure of about 6.7%. The same exercise for Málaga also gives about 6.7%. This mixes asking rents with registered sale prices and ignores vacancy, costs and taxes, so treat it as a conversation starter, not a yield.
NLS Conclusion
Alicante’s rents have hit a record while the pace of growth eases. For landlords, agents and investors on the Costa Blanca, the next signals are the Diputación Permanente’s decision on the rental decrees and the 29 November election.
Sources: CB Noticias (1 October 2026), citing idealista’s September rental report; Registradores de España (Q2 2026); Majorca Daily Bulletin; The Objective.
