Job Discussion Forums

[twoheaded boy]

Hi, I am currently in Toronto and trying to arrange for a shared flat in Madrid for September. Using Loquo.com I have found what seems like a good place and I have been in frequent contact with the other tenants and they have been extremely helpful, but the problem is that the landlady is asking for an aval, or some kind of banking guarantee for the first three months. Is it possible to arrange for this despite not being in Spain and not having a Spanish bank account? I somehow doubt she would accept certified cheques from a Canadian bank, and I prefer not to hand over that much cash in advance. Have any of you ever been able to arrange for shared housing in advance? How did you go about it? What was your housing methodology :) ?