Uprooting to Gibraltar, need accommodation advice

Given the levelling up of the exchange rate between Gib and Spain, renting in Spain is not the bargain it was a few years ago.  The main difference is that you usually get a bigger property, but we know a number of people who have now moved back to renting in Gib as it is more convenient and a similar price.  There is accommodation available below a) £900 pcm and b) £650 pcm.  The trouble is that for the second category you may not be looking at getting a contract and it is usually available through word of mouth so you need to be on the spot.

If your partner is a Gibraltar resident, then a contract may be less of an issue for you as he will be entitled to a Gib red card anyway.  It really depends where you both want to live and why.  I like living in Gib, even though we only have a small one bed flat (sorry not available for rent as we are in it.  Have you looked into the job market?

ScottishKitten wrote:

Hi there,

I'm considering moving to Gibraltar with my partner as he was born there. I'm a seasoned world traveller so I'll forego the usual simple questions. I've been looking into the local property in Gibraltar for rent, and much of it is, as has been commented, very expensive.

There's much advice saying to live across the border in Spain, but my partner is completely against this as he describes it as "Hell", and trying to tell him that it may have changed and become a more upmarket area since he was there as a child is falling on deaf ears, (he's 29 by the way).

I have no qualms with living in the Spanish area due to the readily available amount of properties as well as their advertised affordability, also I'm from the East End of Glasgow so I'm very used to living in a violent and troublesome environment; however he is dead set on Gibraltar itself. I was wondering if anyone has anywhere they could point me to (online websites or newspapers) that have known advertisements for cheaper property in Gibraltar (we can afford up to the £650pcm mark) for one bedroom accommodation. It doesn't have to be luxury accommodation, just a decent size for two with a moderately updated kitchen and bathroom. I've been looking through pages and pages of property from all different websites but can't seem to find somewhere actually within the Gibraltar area that isn't below £900pcm. Does anyone have advice? My thanks in advance.

Hi there, La Linia didn't look that selubrious to us either when we drove through a couple of times this year visiting Gibraltar - completely hooked on Gibraltar by the way and we too are searching for rental property, jobs or a shop (saw two vacant & adjacent), but still no accomodation unless we lived in the van for a while (done that before!):-) I'm more than happy to exchange my council property but haven't found anything on the Gibraltar information sites regarding this.. oh hum.. I'm new to this site & it's brilliant so hopefully we all find the help we need - wishing you good luck with your search, maybe I've given you an "idea", warm wishes, Belinda

hi debbie,,,,,as said before,,,you have to be here and do the leg work,theres a lot of stuff here that dosent make the papers or mags word of mouth is the best way la linia is ok or out lying areas 15-30 min travling they are quite cheaper 450-650euro will get you a four bed house or flat in gib you will get nothing or maybe a 1 bed flat,,,,so get your walking shoes on,,,,,,

kotk,,,

I'd just like to add a few comments to the above posts. I have lived in La Linea for the past 3 years and I can assure you it's not as bad as people like to make out, maybe about 20+ years ago it was pretty rough, but if it was that bad I certainly wouldn't be living here! Yes there are a few rough areas but name a city in the Uk that hasn't got one of those... you just don't go there.

As for accommodation in Gib, yes you can get a Studio Apartment in Ocean Heights for that amount(£650) via an Agent but as for anything bigger than that think more like £900+ or somewhere like Ocean Village from about £1500-£2500 or more per month.
I still don't think(despite the Euro being on par with the GBP)that you can get anything near in size or cost in Gibraltar as you can get in Spain, I pay 600 Euros a month for a 4 bed, 2 Bath Apartment + Balcony with views of the Rock and Sea,I have yet to find a comparisson with that in Gibraltar.

The work situation in Gibraltar is not a good one and hasn't been so for a while, like everywhere else in the world there is a recession and it has affected jobs here. You may see lots of jobs advertised but there is much more competition for them here. Also quite a few jobs advertised require you to speak Spanish and English. Gibraltar society often works in such a way that it's not WHAT you know, but WHO you know, I'll leave it to your imagination as what I mean by that!
Also if you live in Spain and work in Gibraltar and therefore do not have an address in Gibraltar, you will not be entitled to any Unemploment Benefits from Gibraltar,(should you get made redundant)and you will not be allowed to use the Job Center there or apply for any jobs via the Job Center, this is despite the fact that whilst you were working in Gibraltar you will have paid 20% or more Tax and Social Insurance contributions to the Gibraltar Government...Hmmm...

Basically what I am saying is look at everything realistically, you can be just as unhappy here as you can anywhere else, do your homework and preferaby secure a job before you get here or bring enough money to last till you find one and enough money to get back home if you change your mind.

Good reply Tulalula i agree with all you said its not what you know,,,its who you know,,,,,,kotk....

With regards to unemployment benefits, i understand that if you are working in Gib, living in Spain you are entitled to spanish unemployement as there is an agreement between gib and spain.

Does this mean someone who is British can seek Unemployment benefit in Gibraltar?