Answers, in plain language.
The questions ESADE students and their families ask most often, with full answers. If something isn't covered here, message Maria directly — she replies within a day.
Is the house only for ESADE students?
Yes. The house is let exclusively to students enrolled at ESADE Business School. To reserve a room, applicants share their ESADE admission email as a reference. The exclusivity is not a marketing angle — it's the actual operating model, and it produces a household in which all seven students share a campus and an academic calendar.
How does pricing compare to a student residence in Sant Cugat or Barcelona?
Rooms in this house are consistently priced lower than single rooms in major student residences in Sant Cugat and central Barcelona, while offering significantly more space, private outdoor areas (pool, garden, terrace), and included services such as weekly cleaning of common areas.
Utilities are shared at real cost rather than bundled at a markup, which typically reduces the all-in monthly figure further. Exact monthly rents for first-floor and second-floor rooms are shared during inquiry.
What are the lease dates?
The standard lease runs from 1 September 2026 to 15 July 2027. This aligns with the ESADE academic year for most master's programs and undergraduate cohorts — covering orientation week at the start and reaching past the end of final exams.
How much is the deposit, and how is it handled?
A two-month reservation fee is required to hold a room. This amount is detailed in the lease contract and serves as the deposit for the duration of the stay. It is refunded at the end of the lease subject to the condition of the room and any outstanding utilities reconciliation.
Are there agency fees?
No. The house is run personally by Maria, the landlord. There are no agency fees, no broker commissions, and no third-party platform charges. Students deal directly with Maria from the first message through the end of the lease.
What is included in the rent, and what is paid separately?
Rent includes furnishings, weekly cleaning of common areas, maintenance, use of all common areas (kitchen, garden, patio, barbecue, swimming pool), and bicycle storage.
Utilities — WiFi, gas, electricity and water — are shared by the tenants at real cost. Each tenant advances €50 per month into a common pool, which is reconciled against actual bills at the end of the lease. Surplus is returned; shortfall is collected. Every utility bill is uploaded to a shared Google Drive folder so tenants can verify the figures at any time.
Are the rooms furnished? What do I need to bring?
Every room is furnished with a quality bed, mattress, duvet, study desk, high-backed chair, side table, wardrobe (built-in in most rooms; walk-in shared on the second floor), and a warm-light bedside lamp.
Tenants bring their own sheets, duvet covers, and towels. Beyond that, the room is ready to live in from day one.
How many bathrooms does the house have?
Four bathrooms in total: one on the ground floor, two on the first floor (shared among the five first-floor rooms), and one on the second floor (shared between the two premium rooms).
What's the difference between first-floor and second-floor rooms?
The first floor has five rooms at the standard rate, sharing two bathrooms. The second floor has two premium rooms that share a private terrace, a walk-in wardrobe and a dedicated bathroom — functioning almost as a small private suite for two students.
Premium rooms have larger windows, balconies wrapping the upper floor, and views to the garden, mountains and golf club. Premium rooms are priced higher than first-floor rooms.
How do I apply and reserve a room?
Send Maria a message on WhatsApp at +34 621 342 912 with your name, ESADE program, intended start date, and which room or floor interests you.
To formally reserve a room, the two-month reservation fee (which serves as the deposit) is required. Once received, Maria sends a written reservation receipt confirming the room is held and that the lease contract will be signed on arrival. The full lease contract is shared before any funds are transferred.
What references are required?
Applicants share their ESADE admission email as confirmation of enrolment. This is the primary reference required and verifies eligibility for the house.
How far is the house from the ESADE Sant Cugat campus?
The bus stop on Carrer Safareig 11 — fifty metres from the house — has direct service to the ESADE Sant Cugat campus. The campus is also a roughly 15-minute walk from the house. Some students take the bus daily, others walk; many switch between the two by season.
What is the public transport like?
The FGC train station Sant Cugat Centre is 300m from the house, on Plaça Lluís Millet, with frequent service to Plaça Catalunya in central Barcelona (about 25 minutes). The bus stop to ESADE is 50m away. A taxi rank sits at 50m for late returns and airport runs.
Where is the nearest healthcare?
Two pharmacies sit within 400m: Farmàcia Riviere (Carrer Dr. Murillo 1) and Farmàcia Quirante (Passeig Olabarria 50).
The CAP Sant Cugat primary care centre — which includes a 24-hour emergency room — is 1.3 km away on Carrer de la Mina. The CAP Valldoreix, also with emergency services, is two minutes away by FGC train.
Are pets allowed?
No. The house is not set up for pets.
Is smoking allowed?
No, neither indoors nor in the garden.
Are parties or overnight visitors allowed?
No to both. Out of respect for the seven housemates and the neighbourhood, parties and overnight visitors are not permitted. Daytime guests, study groups, and friends visiting from class are part of normal house life.
Is there parking?
Free street parking is reliably available in the surrounding streets. The Empark public parking on Plaça Lluís Millet is 10m from the house for tenants who prefer paid covered parking.
Is there bicycle storage?
Yes, a covered bicycle storage area is inside the property — secure and weather-protected.
Who decides the house rules?
A short list of non-negotiable rules is set by Maria — no pets, no smoking, no parties, and no overnight visitors. These protect the house, the neighbours, and the experience of all seven tenants.
Beyond those, the seven ESADE students who live in the house each year set their own day-to-day standards: quiet hours, kitchen rotation, weekend rhythm, common-area tidying between professional cleans. These standards are agreed at the start of the academic year and can be revisited and adjusted throughout the year as the house finds its rhythm. House life is a living arrangement, not a fixed contract.