Finding a place to live can be very stressful especially when you are 5,867 miles away. One of the most important things to note is that you should never agree to any contract before you see the place itself. There are various resources you can use to find apartments in Sevilla including Idealista, RoomSevilla, and Facebook groups. One of the most helpful ways to communicate with other auxiliaries is finding a Facebook group page. This will help you find others who are looking for rooms or apartments and receive advice and give suggestions.
For me, I looked into Idealista while I was still in LA just to get an idea. I decided on a price range and used an application called Moovit to see how far away it would be from my work/school. I attempted using Google Maps, but it did not have updated time tables or bus routes and so would always give me routes that require an Uber or taxi.
Once I arrived in Spain, I got an Airbnb for a two night stay which was not enough, so I renewed for another 2 days. I checked out three different apartments. There were two that I liked a lot. One that was located across the street from the bus/ train station and one that was 10 minutes away. I decided on the one farther away because it only had three other people living in it as opposed to 11 people. The 11 person one would have been fun because they are all Erasmus students coming from all over Europe, but for me personally, I wanted to be immersed in the Spanish language.
After deciding, I contacted the landlord, and I had to pay both the first and third month's rent which was typical. In addition, it was approximately 50€ for electricity, water, and gas. Always be on the lookout for these additional charges. Since I was moving in October 7th, one week had already passed by and we negotiated and I was able to get 50€ off my first month since I only had three weeks left. It never hurts to ask. Also, most landlords ask that you pay cash every month, so when you first arrive make sure you have access to cash.
Each room has a key for safety and it is a quiet, calm, peaceful neighborhood only minutes away from the Cathedral.
Also, one thing I found helpful was bringing things from home to make the space more comfortable such as picture frames, a blanket, poster, or picture.