On base family housing is currently limited due to several renovation projects. There are two-, three-, and four-bedroom homes on base primarily for officers and enlisted personnel. You can check with the housing office for availability, but most likely you will live off base. Within walking distance of the local beaches there are apartments, chalets with balconies, and detached homes with fireplaces, courtyards, and pools. Besides the local area in Rota, housing can also be found in El Puerto de Santa Maria, Chipiona, Sanlucar de Barrameda, and Jerez. Living in one of these communities might provide greater privacy and more space. All personnel who reside off base will still process through the Housing Services Center (HSC).
The Housing Services Center offers a variety of services to assist newly arriving personnel who will live in the local community:
- Rental properties
- House hunting service
- Furnishings
- Full Tour Furnishings Program
- DoD Automated Housing Referral Network (AHRN) assistance
- Negotiating rental contracts and explaining the lease agreements
Homes.mil is an official Department of Defense (DoD) website that lists available homes in Rota and the surrounding areas.
In order to protect your interests at all times and as part of the procedures, you are strongly recommended to avoid making any commitments on properties prior to your arrival. This can be something as simple as asking a property manager, realtor, or landlord to hold a property for you. Verbal agreements are binding in Spain and you can be held monetarily liable for any requests you make. Facebook can be a tool for familiarizing yourself with the area and types of homes available, but please be cautious about interaction with property managers through Facebook. Not all listings online may be legitimate.
On-base housing
The Las Palmeras site contains 421 two-, three-, and four-bedroom homes for officers and enlisted personnel. The houses are single story Spanish-style duplex homes (connected at the carports) and single-story detached homes. All the homes have undergone several renovation and improvement projects since they were built in the early 1960s. All on-base homes have central heat and air conditioning, range, refrigerator, dishwasher, washer and dryer, and fenced yards. The electrical system aboard the Naval Station, including on-base housing, is 110-volts/60 cycle. Telephone and Internet service is available. While the homes do provide some storage, it is limited. Additionally, there are no facilities aboard the Naval Station for storing excess furnishings.
For important information on housing availability and procedures, please visit the links on this page:
Rota Welcome Guide 2017 (pages 9-10)
MWR Rota Spain Housing Naval Station Rota Housing Q&A
Naval Station Rota Housing Quick Reference
Navy.mil Q&A about On-base Housing