5 legal tips to consider when renting an apartment in Lisbon

Renting an apartment in Lisbon can be quite frustrating as Lisbon is rapidly turning out to be a quite expensive environment to stay in.

Lisbon is one of the high rise areas of Portugal that poses a major challenge, to low-income earners in terms of apartment renting. The frustration in renting an apartment in Lisbon is not only as a result of the high rental rate. Also as a result of a lot of jargon policy by landlords or agents which are not legally inclined. Many landlords in Lisbon do avoid to work with realtors or agencies. That prevents the legal backing that tenants would get from renting their apartment through a certified agency or realtor. It is always advisable to rent an apartment in Lisbon through certified realtors or agencies to avoid dramas by landlords. This blog was written to share with you the vital legal tips you should consider when you’re renting an apartment in Lisbon. These tips include:

1. Rent your apartment through a certified agency or realtor

This is really important especially when you’re just moving into Lisbon. As it was earlier said that many landlords in Lisbon can be quite frustrating with their policy. The very perfect way to avoid this is to go through a certified agency or realtor who would rent the house on your behalf and help you with all the necessary documents for future references.

2. Check the apartment thoroughly before renting it

Landlords are fond of being cunny with their doings. Check out the apartment thoroughly and clearly check if there is anything that had already been damaged in the apartment before renting. Many landlords have the habit of passing the unnecessary bill on their tenants claiming something or a part of the apartment was damaged by the tenant. Ensure you don’t fall a victim of this.

3. Sign a tenancy agreement form or rental contract

Legally speaking, this is the most important thing that should be done when renting an apartment in Lisbon. As a new tenant, make sure you write down an agreement with the landlord probably through the realtor. The rental contract would outline the agreement you reached with the landlord which includes the length of lease agreed on, rental fee, house policy, tenant's rights, apartment information and also the duration of notice you need to give before moving out of the house.

4. Archive your proof of payment for future reference

This is quite important as it would keep you going till the end of your rental contract. Make sure you keep your proof of payment which would contain the duration you paid for. This can be helpful when you have issues with your landlord or even the agencies you rent the apartment through. If you agreed to pay on installment, make sure it’s done in a legal way and attach together all your proofs of payment.

5. Carry Miss Legal along when renting the apartment

Well, this is quite applicable to those who had at least gained little ground in Portugal. Make sure you carry Miss Legal along in all the renting processes. We will be able to direct or guide you as regards the legal agreement you should reach and those you should not agree to. Please, take note of these 5 important Miss Legal Tips when renting an apartment in Lisbon. You can be sure of avoiding frustrations that landlords and realtors might pose.