Finding Medium & Long Term Accommodation in Porto

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Written by: | Last updated on March 23, 2024 | Est. Reading Time: 4 minutes

Portugal’s second city, Porto, is quickly growing as popular as its first. More and more people are moving to Porto for work, university, as digital nomads, or to join Porto’s growing startup scene.

Finding accommodation in any city can be challenging, and Porto is no different. It’s a little easier than Lisbon, which is facing a bit of a housing crisis at the moment, but it’s still challenging. As Porto grows in popularity as a tourist destination, more and more Tripeiros  are putting their apartments on sites like Airbnb rather than renting them long-term.

But, although there are less apartments going on the long-term market than a few years ago, more apartment rentals are now posted online than ever before so maybe it evens out somewhere.

Finding accommodation in Porto depends on how long you plan on staying. If you’re staying for six months or longer, you probably have a few extra options that people staying for less than six months don’t have.

Medium Term (1-6 Months)

Most medium-term renters still go through Airbnb, as this tends to be the easiest option: to get the monthly rates, simply enter dates of 28 days or more. It’s definitely pricier than renting long-term privately or through an estate agent but, given that most rental contracts are for a minimum of six months, there really isn’t much more that you can do.

There are also a handful of websites that offer medium-term rentals such as Flatio. One benefit of Flatio (as with Airbnb) is that you don’t have to pay a deposit on rentals of six months or less (something you, unfortunately, don’t always get back in Portugal).

Other options include:

Outside of the summer months, you may find someone who’s willing to rent a long-term apartment on a shorter basis. This is more common in The Algarve, where tourism is concentrated on the summer months, but it’s something that sometimes happens in Porto as well.

Long Term Options (6 Months +)

If you’re planning on staying in Porto for more than six months, it’s normally cheapest to rent an apartment the traditional way i.e. renting privately or through an estate agent. You may get lucky: there are some Airbnbs and holiday rentals that are available for reasonable medium-term or long-term rents, but typically they’re much more expensive than private rentals.

As with most countries, it’s cheaper to rent privately than through an estate agent. Properties are normally listed on classifieds websites like Sapo, OLX, and Custo Justo – the Portuguese equivalents of Craigslist – as well as on property-specialist sites like Idealista and Imovirtual. You’ll also find adverts for properties on the notice boards in supermarkets as well, and this tends to be more common the further away from the city centre that you go.

Nestpick is an accommodation aggregator that searches several different medium and long term accommodation websites like Erasmu and only-apartments and, if you’re interested in sharing with flatmates, sites like EasyRoommate, Homestay, and Beroomers. It’s a good option for both medium and long-term rents.

You’ll also occasionally find properties for rent on some of the expat websites like expat.com, angloinfo.com, and justlanded.com. These tend to work out slightly more expensive than renting from a “local,” but it can be an easier option if you feel more comfortable doing everything in English.

Facebook is also worth a look, especially the Facebook Groups, and more and more listings are getting posted here rather than on classifieds websites. There are plenty dedicated to renting rooms in Porto, and a couple that have more of a focus on apartments and houses.

As for estate agents, it’s usually best to spend half a day going around all of the agencies in Portugal. Some list their properties online, but not all do.

Note: You’ll notice that property listings use terms like T0, T1, T2, etc. It’s pretty simple. T0 is a studio, a T1 has 1-bedroom, and a T2 has two bedrooms.

Know of anywhere else to find a long-term rental in Porto? Let us, and Portugalist readers, know by leaving a comment below.

We have written similar articles about renting long-term in Lisbon and the Algarve. Naturally, a lot of the information overlaps.

Written by

James Cave is the founder of Portugalist and the author of the bestselling book, Moving to Portugal Made Simple. He has visited just about every part of Portugal, including Madeira and all nine islands of the Azores, and lived in several parts of Portugal including Lisbon, the Algarve, and Northern Portugal.

You can contact James by emailing james@portugalist.com or via the site's contact form.

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There are 35 comments on this article. Join the conversation and add your own thoughts, reviews, and stories of life in Portugal. However, please remember to be civil.

Comments

  1. Hi James,
    I am a semi-retired American planning a move to Portugal. I am considering a long term stay 1+ year to indefinite) but I am concerned about the visa situation.

    Do US Citizens need to apply for a long term visa to stay for a year or more? If so, where are the best resources to learn more about the visa requirements?

    Reply
  2. Hello !Im interested in spending the Holidays in Porto .Nov .17 Jan 4 .I would like a safe walking distance to restaurant shops and market.Apartment that will sleep 4 or 2 .Elevator aircon modern clean thanks .Wonderful day .

    Reply
  3. where is the center of porto?
    where is the best place in porto? ( i want to visit where i can enjoy from everything)

    Reply
    • I would say roughly near the Palácio da Bolsa, but anywhere within a twenty minute walk of there. The city centre is small.

      Reply
  4. I might want to move to Portugal with my wife.
    Any information you can give me, would be thankful!!
    rentals, cost of iving, etc.
    I was born in Barcelona, Espana
    Thanks

    Reply
  5. I would like to know the prices of one or two BR apartments in Porto on the beach or, preferably, in the city centre. Can you get to the beach from the center of town? I have one cat, and need to bring him with. My boyfriend John and I always pay the rent in full and on time, although we’ve rented a condo from my cousin for almost ten years here in Washington, DC. We pay for water, cable, and electric utilities as well – we don’t have gas utilities here. Thanks for your assistance.

    Reply
    • Hi Susan,

      Yes, you can get to the beach from the centre of Porto – by metro, bus, or taxi.

      For prices, it depends on how long you’re renting for. The article above lists the sites to look at depending on whether you’re looking for short, medium, or long-term rentals.

      Reply
  6. I’m moving to Porto soon, and am trying to do as much long-distance as possible. I thought working with an estate agent to find rentals would be a good idea – provide them with our requirements, share links to plaes we’re seeing online to use as references, etc. We’ll be visiting for a few weeks a couple of months prior to the actual move, and hope to find and lease a place then. But I’m having difficulties getting estate agents to return my messages, and I can’t find solid information on possible fees. Do you have any insights?

    Reply
    • Hi Phil,

      No insights really other than to say that you’re definitely not the first person who’s tried to communicate with estate agents in advance and not had their messages returned. It’s definitely an issue.

      Maybe messaging them closer to your visit dates will get you a higher response rate? Sorry I can’t provide any better insights than that.

      Reply
    • Hi Meera,

      The article contains links to the main websites that are used for advertising properties in Porto (and the whole of Portugal). Take a look at OLX, for example.

      Reply
  7. My wife and I are US Citizens and are retired. We are looking at renting or leasing a House with a rear yard and Jacuzzi or small swimming pool. We are in the process of long term visa. Porto is our interest, but not in the city. I hope you can guide us. Thank You.

    Reply
  8. Estoy interesado en alquilar una casa en oporto. Mi idea es retirarme en Portugal, busco un piso o casa antiguo, con pequeño patio o terraza pues debo trasladarme con 3 gatos. Por esta razón prefiero casas vacías, sin muebles

    Reply
  9. I’m planning on moving back to Porto Portugal after many years in the states,dad passed it’s me & mom.Need decent inexpensive house for rent in pref. Azevedo,Campanha,Porto,Portugalw/ garage or basement as I’m shipping a lot of stuff via cotainer/sea route,& we need storage to get organized.I would appreciate any help.Thank you

    Reply
  10. Hey everybody,

    Does anyone know of a T1 or T2 apartment or house for rent in either Porto or V.N.Gaia ?

    Reply
  11. Does anyone know of one-bedroom apartment or house for rent either in the town of Amarante or Matosinhos…both near Porto

    Reply
  12. Thanks for this good information. I am trying to find long term accommodation in either Porto or Lisbon. This is the best information that I have found so far. thank you.

    Reply

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