Last night, I read a couple of interesting newspaper articles that told of how even the Spanish government sees this situation as impossible, and is stepping in to try to remedy it by passing a new law.
Here's the article in English if you're interested in knowing more, and here is the longer article in Spanish. But let me summarise what's probably going to happen in the course of this year.
Basically, the government recognises that there are many parts of the country where it is becoming impossible for ordinary people to rent a home. They are calling these towns and regions "stressed" housing areas, which basically means that the average cost of renting a house or flat, and paying the bills, is generally more than 30% of a normal person's income.
The new law, which still needs final approval by Parliament, will make it no longer possible for real estate agents or insurance companies to demand that a prospective renter give proof of a ridiculously unrealistic salary in order to be able to rent a place to live. It will also rule that it's the home owner who needs to pay the estate agent's fees and not the renter.
(At the moment, to rent a tiny flat at a monthly cost of €1000, they want you to prove a salary of at least €3000. Then, if you manage to surmount that obstacle, they expect you to pay a two month deposit on top of the first month's rent, and also to pay the equivalent of a month's rent in fees to the real estate agent. That means that, if you do manage to find a place to rent, they are expecting you to pay something between €4000 and €8000 in the first month... or even more if you're renting a big villa!)
It will probably take most of this year for the law to be passed and to be worked out in practice, but it will be good news for people like myself who have been finding it impossible to meet the requirements to take on a rental contract.
