The month’s rent handed over by a tenant as a deposit is not meant simply to remain in the landlord’s account for the life of the lease. In the Valencian Community, the landlord must lodge it with the regional government within one month of signing the contract.
Spain’s Urban Leases Act sets the statutory deposit at one month’s rent for a home and two months for commercial premises or another non-residential use. Registration is the landlord’s responsibility: the tenant fulfils their part by paying the landlord and does not file the regional form themselves.
An administrative deposit separate from extra security
The statutory deposit is not the same as a bank guarantee, rent-default insurance or an additional sum agreed in the lease. The amount lodged with the Valencian deposit office is the statutory one month —or two for non-residential leases— and creates an administrative record that it exists.
There are two routes under the general scheme. Online filing uses form 816 and accepts payment by card or Bizum. The regional portal warns that choosing this route also means the eventual refund must be handled online and will require an electronic certificate. The in-person option generates form 806 for payment at a participating bank.
The filing requires the lease as a PDF, the property’s cadastral reference and an email address, among other details. Late registration can attract the surcharges set by Valencian rules and may also lead to inspection or penalties.
How a tenant can find out whether it was lodged
The regional government allows tenants to request information about the deposit. The written enquiry must identify the property and include a copy of the lease and an identity document. The official procedure lists fianzastelematicas@gva.es, as well as the responsible office’s postal address, as contact routes.
This right to check does not make the tenant responsible for registration. If no record is found, the tenant should retain the bank transfer or receipt showing payment to the landlord and ask in writing for the position to be regularised. A landlord can demonstrate compliance with the payment letter or receipt issued by the regional government.
When the tenancy ends, the administrative refund is requested after the contract has been terminated; the parties then settle the balance according to the property’s condition and any outstanding obligations. Spanish law provides that money owed back to the tenant accrues statutory interest once one month has passed after the keys were returned.
This article should be reviewed if the Valencian government changes forms 806 or 816, the filing deadline, enquiry channels or refund system.