Long-term rentals Portugal

The latest figures suggest that renting in Portugal is getting cheaper overall. After several years of sharp increases, the market is beginning to cool.

The rental market in Portugal is going through a distinctive period. After a broad upward trend in prices nationwide, driven by low inventory and high demand, regional differences are now becoming clearer. Incentives to buy homes have boosted transactions overall, leading to a 2.4% drop in house rentals across the country, even in a context where available supply has fallen by 13%.

The rental market in Portugal is not uniform. Demand pressure on supply varies from city to city, influencing rent trends (there are areas where rents are falling and others where they continue to rise). There are also properties that meet demand, such as price and location, and are therefore rented more quickly. Nationally, approximately 11% of advertised rental properties were removed from the market in less than 24 hours in the first quarter of 2026, reveals an analysis by idealista, publisher of this newsletter and the leading real estate marketplace in Southern Europe.

Renting property in Portugal is often the first step for anyone planning a move.

Portugal’s property market continues to attract international buyers, investors and second-home owners.

Portugal’s rental market has shifted sharply over the past 12 months, with rent prices no longer moving in a single direction.

The Portuguese government, led by Luís Montenegro, has introduced a new category called “moderate rent”. This has attracted a lot of attention because landlords who rent homes for between €400 and €2,300 per month can get tax benefits, such as a lower income tax (IRS) rate — reduced from 25% to 10%.

Settling into life in Porto offers a playful mix of historical richness and contemporary urban living, attracting an ever-growing international community. Porto stands as a prominent destination in Portugal thanks to its lively cultural scene, great food and historic architecture.

Lisbon has become one of Europe’s most sought-after cities for long-term living. With its rich history, vibrant culture, and stunning coastline, Portugal’s capital offers a high quality of life that attracts expats, digital nomads, and retirees alike.

Discovering affordable apartments for rent in Portugal is becoming a priority for many looking to enjoy the rich history, vibrant culture, and stunning landscapes this diverse country offers.

With the cost of home loans escalating, purchasing power reduced by high inflation and house still rising, more and more families are choosing to take refuge in the rental market.

Are you thinking of moving to Portugal in 2022? If a new life in the Algarve is on your radar, look no further, as your new place in the sun could become a reality sooner rather than later, with our selection of over 300 houses and flats for rent in the Algarve from 400 euros.

In Portugal, there is a shortage of houses for rent in the residential market. As a result of high demand, properties across Portugal are only on the market for a short time. To be precise, about 30% of the houses rented in February via idealista were on the Portuguese market less than a week.

When choosing a house to rent, one of the key factors is the cost.

Porto and Braga appear in the fDi Intelligence magazine ranking, "European Cities and Regions of the Future 2022/23 - the Best and the brightest among Europe investments destination", published by the British newspaper Financial Times.

Housing rental prices in Portugal are set to rise again in 2022, after remaining unchanged in 2021, but after rising between 2016 and 2020. This, however, will be a slight increase, bearing in mind that, excluding housing, the inflation rate was 0.29% in July.

Milan is the capital of Southern Europe where the effort rate of families to pay the rent of a house is the highest: 42,6%. A figure higher than that registered, for example, in Madrid (36.3%) and Lisbon (35.8%). Another Portuguese city, Setúbal, is in second place in this ranking (40.6%).

Renting a room in Portugal is no longer a trend that is exclusively linked students.

Imagine you live in a rented property and the landlord decides that they want to sell it. Do you, as a tenant, have to authorise the landlord to allow visits to the property?

A tenancy deposit to rent a house is often a cause of friction between landlords and tenants. Deposits on rental are regulated legally by the Portuguese Civil Code, but it is not always easy for both parties to understand their rights and responsibilities when it comes to deposits.

Renting a house in Portugal was 9.3% more expensive in 2018 than previous years, with the average cost per square metre for the whole country reaching 4.80 euro, which is 0.45 euro per square foot.

Do you live in a rented house? Then you should consider taking out a home contents insurance policy.

The Portuguese Council of Ministers (Conselho de Ministros) approved a decree law on 14th February 2019 creating the Right in rem to Lasting Housing (Direito Real de Habitação Duradoura or DRHD), a scheme that aims to provide families with a stable housing solution and allow them to maintain their p