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Accommodation in Barcelona

What are my options?

We offer two options for accommodation in Barcelona which are comfortable, low-cost and close to the school: 

Option 1: Join our Accommodation Group

Find your own accommodation via our Facebook group, which is only for trusted hosts and trainees. There is very limited availability and we cannot guranatee that you will find accommodation in this way. This is a free service (fees for accommodation vary). 

Option 2: Personalised Accommodation Service

Let our accommodation officer, Anna Shaposhnikova, handle finding your accommodation. You can use this service for up to 12 months if you are studying with us.  The fee for this service is €750 per month (32 days), which includes your accommodation, bills and assistance.

After you have made your payment, Anna will send you a questionnaire to understand your preferences. She will then match you with a host who best fits your needs. Once matched, you will receive photos and details of your specific accommodation. Please note that it is not possible to view photos or details of potential accommodations before payment and the matching process.

live, study and work in Barcelona

Where is the accommodation?

The location of your accommodation will vary. Some flats are within walking distance of the school, while others may require a commute via metro or bus. Regardless, your maximum journey time will be 40 minutes. Barcelona boasts a modern, efficient transportation system, which ensures easy access to all the city’s attractions.

Our school is situated in the central district of Barcelona, near the key Gaudí Art Nouveau buildings and the city’s best shopping, bars and restaurants. More information about transport in Barcelona.

Who will I stay with?

You will stay in a private room in a shared flat. Your host(s) may be English teachers, local Spanish people, or foreigners with a spare room to rent. This gives you a unique opportunity to practice your Spanish or receive first-hand advice on English teaching! Your host may work from home or they may leave the apartment every day to go to work.

preparing to travel to barcelona

What is the accommodation like?

Personalised accommodation service (option 2)

The exact location and features of your accommodation will depend on time of year and availability. This service is on a first-come-first served basis, so we highly recommend securing your accommodation as early as possible.

To give you an idea:

You will be staying in a comfortable, safe environment with a welcoming host. The apartments are in buildings with multiple levels, some of which have a lift. Many are in a traditional Barcelona style with tiled floors and some are more modern. Your bedroom will have a window but it may not open to the exterior of the building. It is very common in Barcelona for bedrooms to have interior windows.

You’ll have a private room (single or double) with bedding and access to the kitchen and communal areas. Your bathroom will most likely be shared with other flatmates. There may or may not be a terrace or balcony. 

If you choose to use our personalised accommodation service (option 2), after responding to the questions sent to you by our accommodation officer, you will be sent the details of your host. We are unable to provide multiple options to choose from but we can guarantee that your flat will meet all the requirements outlined below.

All our registered hosts fulfil the following requirements:

  • Be within a maximum of 40 minutes’ commuting time to our centre from door to door (walking, metro, bus). We cannot guarantee that accommodation will be within walking distance from the school as this will depend on availability at the time of enrolment.

  • Have a heater in the room (or central heating available) to host during winter months.

  • Have a fan in the room (or AC available) to host during summer months.

  • No charging of deposits (unless agreed by the trainee).

  • Provide clean bedding and at least one towel.

  • Have drawers/wardrobe in the room.

  • Have Wi-Fi.

  • Be welcoming (give info of surroundings and how to commute to the school, help adjust to living in BCN).

  • Allow the student to access/use all spaces of the flat freely (other than bedrooms).

  • Be a maximum of 4 people living in the flat (with the trainee included).

  • No children under the age of 12 living in the flat.

 
Please note: Accommodation in Barcelona is very limited and expensive. Our hosts are dealing with high costs for their rent and bills. Please respect the house rules and be careful with utilities. It is very common for residents to live in close proximity to each other in small apartments. We ask you to please be respectful of the space and people in the apartment. You will be expected to cook, tidy up and keep your room clean during your stay.

How do I request accommodation?

If you haven’t submitted your application for our CELTA course in Barcelona yet, you’ll need to do that first on this webpage: Application for the CELTA course in Barcelona (opens in a new tab). On the application form, you will see the option to ask for help finding accommodation.

Once you have been interviewed and offered a place on the course, you will receive a link to join our Facebook group (option 1).

If you decide to use our Accommodation Service (option 2), you will be able to pay for one, two or three months of accommodation at the same time as your course fees (or later on if you prefer).

Payment must be received at least 7 days prior to your arrival date in order for us to match you to a host. However, we do not recommend booking your accommodation this late.

Terms and Conditions

Terms and conditions (option 2)

  1. Allocation is on a strictly first-come, first-served basis.

  2. The accommodation service fee is €750 per month (32 days). The following deadlines apply:

    • Standard deadline: The full fees must be received at least 7 days before your arrival date.

    • Deadline for visa applicants: The full fees must be received at least 14 days before your visa appointment.

    • Deadline for multi-person stays: If you would like to be accommodated with your partner, the full fees must be received at least 21 days before your course start date.

  3.  All utilities (electricity, water, gas, and internet) are included in the accommodation fees.

  4. Any broken or missing items are expected to be replaced at the expense of the trainee.

  5. If, for any reason, the trainee changes the dates of accommodation and notifies Oxford TEFL.

    • …at least 28 days in advance, and before the host has been confirmed: There will be no charge.

    • …at least 28 days in advance, but after the host has been confirmed: a €50 administration charge will need to be paid before the trainee can be matched to a new host.

    • …between 15 and 27 days in advance: 50% of the accommodation fees will need to be repaid before the trainee can be matched to a new host.

    • …14 days or less in advance: The full accommodation fees will need to be repaid.

  6. If, for any reason, the trainee cancels the accommodation or is unable to attend the course and notifies Oxford TEFL…

    • …at least 28 days in advance: 100% of the accommodation fees minus a  €50 (one month stay), €100 (two month stay) or €150 (three month stay) administration charge.

    • …between 15 and 27 days in advance: 50% of the accommodation fees will be refunded.

    • …14 days or less in advance: No accommodation fees will be refunded.

  7. If you have booked two months (64 days) or three months (96 days) of accommodation, we may provide more than one host for the duration of your stay.
  8. The maximum duration of the Oxford TEFL accommodation service is 3 months. If you plan to stay longer than three months, we can recommend an external company who can assist you.

Meet Anna Shaposhnikova, our Accommodation Officer

Anna has lived in Barcelona since 2019 and is a big fan of the city. She keeps up to date with local events and is a frequent visitor to exhibitions, street markets, and festivals.

With over 17 years of experience in education, she is a dedicated teacher of students of all ages and has contributed to a range of educational projects.

Originally from Russia, Anna has also lived in the USA, the UK, and Spain. She speaks English, Spanish, and Russian, and is currently learning Catalan—with the help of her four-year-old daughter. She’s passionate about travel, meeting new people, and enjoys the mountains, the sea, and dancing.

Anna Shaposhnikova

Testimonials

"You should definitely take advantage of their accommodation services. The hosts that they paired me with were very respectful and fun loving, and the flat was always very clean and quiet. The people that I met during the month of training were people that I would consider my good friends now, so that is a huge plus, considering we all were strangers at the start of the course. And of course, you are in Barcelona, so that is the icing on the cake. If you plan on doing a TEFL course, do it here.."
- Ryan
"The Oxford TEFL Accommodation Service is brilliant. It’s convenient, thorough and helpful and you are set up with wonderful hosts and a great room. I definitely recommend the Accommodation Service for the CELTA/TEFL because the course is intensive and it’s worth avoiding the hassle of finding your own place and the ensuing vetting process. With this Accommodation Service there is a guarantee that the place you’ll be living at is going to be good."
-Maya Dileep Kumar
"The course was great. Living in the apartment building with other trainees was great. No distractions, very easy to focus and get work done. The Indian students we taught were terrific. I felt like our teaching practice with them made an enormous difference to their lives."
-Milan Magas

TEFL Courses

CELTA 100% online full-time
CELTA 100% online part-time
CELTA face-to-face in Barcelona full-time
1 Year in Spain (Ultimate Package)
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Trinity DipTESOL

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Online TEFL Starter
English Grammar Preparation

One day Workshops

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Coaching Program

Teacher Coaching Program

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Oxford TEFL Connect

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