While Saint Louis University - Madrid Campus does not have a housing requirement, we are happy to facilitate the placement of students with Host Families, as well as provide valuable guidance and selective referrals to students who are seeking housing outside of the University system.
We strongly encourage those seeking housing to take advantage of the Host Family option through which students who wish to experience Spanish society to the fullest can be part of a Spanish household. Indeed, one of the most rewarding and culturally integrating experiences a student can have is to be part of a Spanish household where one has the opportunity to learn and experience day-to-day life in urban Madrid.
The application and admission processes are made directly and solely with the colegio mayor as they are not sponsored by universities but by private enterprises. Single semester housing is not an option in the colegios mayores. All of them provide an intensive Spanish experience since most of the residents are native Spaniards studying in Madrid in different universities
For those who might be interested in exploring the option of a colegio mayor we recommend three that are conveniently located to the SLU-Madrid Campus:
Colegios mayores start the application process for the next academic year in early April, until the end of June. If you apply to any of the three colegios mayores mentioned above, you may want to let us know. We can inquire about your application on your behalf. You may contact us at housing-madrid@slu.edu.
b) Finding One’s Own Apartment
Finding an apartment on one’s own is a somewhat difficult proposition in Madrid since apartment complexes with central managers who offer apartments for rent do not exist. Instead, each available apartment is advertised and rented by the owner, sometimes assisted by an agent. Also, few agencies are interested in working with students on short-term (i.e. less than one calendar year) leases.
For those who do wish to explore the possibility of an independent apartment, we have learned from our students that they have experienced Madrid Easy (www.madrideasy.com) and Aluni.net (www.aluni.net) as agencies that have been helpful and trustworthy in the rental process. You may contact them directly:
