Intergenerational homesharing in Spain: university programmes and rules

How does the Spanish approach work?

Where German schemes count hours of chores, Spanish programmes focus on presence. The student pays no rent but commits to spending time with the older host every day, to coming home at night and to following written house rules agreed with the coordinating organisation.

Most schemes date from the 1990s and are built on a partnership between a university, a public authority and sometimes a specialist NGO. That institutional backing explains their longevity, but also their strict eligibility rules and academic-year calendar.

Convive in Madrid

Convive is managed by the NGO Solidarios para el Desarrollo with support from Madrid City Council. A 2024 programme sheet counts about 1,800 pairings since 1995, or roughly a hundred a year. Seven Madrid universities take part, from Complutense and Autónoma to Carlos III and Comillas.

Hosts must be over 65, live alone, manage independently and not need specialised care such as dementia support. Students must be aged 18 to 36, enrolled at a partner university and come from another city or country.

Daily commitments and house rules

Students share two to three hours a day with their host and return home by 10.30 pm, except on a weekly day off. One weekend away per month is allowed, plus the Easter, summer and Christmas breaks. An agreement monitored by Solidarios sets out both parties' rights.

What participants report

Survey figures published by the city are striking. Some 78.9 % of students say the scheme saves them money, 89.5 % of hosts feel safer at home, and 90 % of hosts rank night-time company as the main benefit. Around nine in ten participants are women.

Which other Spanish cities run schemes?

Outside Madrid, programmes are usually run directly by public universities with regional or municipal partners. Barcelona also has Viure i Conviure, cited in May 2026 by the city council of Genoa in Italy as an example to follow.

Granada: one of the oldest university schemes

The University of Granada began placing students with older or disabled hosts in the early 1990s, now in partnership with the regional government of Andalusia. In 2024 it reported 316 pairings since the start, six the previous year, and fifteen student applications against twelve from hosts.

Criteria published in 2019 required hosts over 60 without behavioural disorders and a room suitable for studying. Student selection weighed financial and family circumstances and time available. Most hosts at that point were over 80, underlining the companionship role of the scheme.

Valencia Conviu

Valencia's programme brings together the city council, the University of Valencia and the Polytechnic University. Hosts must be over 60, live alone and be independent; students must be under 35, not live in Valencia and be unable to afford other accommodation. Applications are accepted all year.

The three schemes side by side

The table summarises published criteria. Conditions can change between academic years, so applicants should always check the latest information sheet before applying.

What does it cost?

In Madrid, students pay no rent but contribute up to €90 a month towards electricity, gas and water, the exact sum set case by case at the host's request. They also need enough income to cover their own food and transport.

Valencia's university page publishes no figure and refers questions about money to its student information service. Granada's announcements are equally silent on contributions. In both cities, any payment should be clarified at the interview stage and written into the agreement.

Is there a lease?

Spain's Urban Leases Act, Ley 29/1994, covers lettings of habitable buildings meant to meet a tenant's permanent housing need. Where no rent changes hands, the relationship is better described as a cohabitation agreement, like the one Convive uses and monitors.

Hosts who rent their home

If the older person is a tenant, article 8 of the act allows only partial subletting, and only with the landlord's prior written consent. Asking formally before the student arrives protects the host's own tenancy from any later challenge.

Joining Convive step by step

Madrid's procedure is the clearest published example. Granada uses the university's online portal for students and a regional office for hosts.

1. Read the information document for students or for hosts.
2. Register through the online form at convive.org.es.
3. Receive an email within a few days about placement options.
4. Attend a personal interview, called in order of registration once enrolment is checked.
5. Meet the host at home with programme staff present.
6. Sign the cohabitation agreement, valid to the end of the academic year and renewable.

Typical mistakes

Published rules suggest where expectations most often go wrong. The common thread is underestimating the time commitment that companionship-based programmes require.

• Underestimating the two to three daily hours required in Madrid.
• Applying without being enrolled at a partner university.
• Proposing a host who needs specialised care.
• Forgetting the landlord's written consent when the host rents.
• Arriving without a budget for food and transport.

Can exchange students take part?

Yes, if enrolled at a partner institution: Convive is explicitly aimed at students from other cities or countries. Conversational Spanish is essential, because companionship is the core of the arrangement and hosts are often in their eighties.

Is it possible to start mid-year?

Madrid and Valencia both accept applications throughout the year, prioritising by date received. Placement still depends on how many hosts and students are registered at that moment, which varies considerably over the academic calendar.

What happens in summer?

Madrid's rules expect the student to be away in July and August. Pairings follow the academic year and can be renewed annually until the student graduates, provided both sides want to continue.

Do Spanish schemes resemble homeshare programmes elsewhere?

They share the matching and monitoring logic, but differ on the exchange. Instead of a set number of hours of practical help, Spanish programmes prioritise evening presence and shared time, and contributions are capped at utilities rather than reduced rent.