Types of rooms

Shared Room – One great option for living in Lisbon on a tight budget is to share the room, we have some properties that are set up specifically with this in mind. Generally, we recommend reserving the room with someone you already know well, to avoid any potential mishaps. The average price of a shared room is €300-€350 per person.

Private Room – The most common type of room that students and young professionals are interested in, is a private room in a shared apartment. We have a large range of options from single rooms, to full suites with a kitchenette included! Therefore it is important to check the amenities to make sure you are getting everything you hope for from a private room. The average price of a private room is €550+

Residences – Residences usually have a large range of room types, from shared rooms to fully equipped private apartments. The average price of rooms in residences are usually higher than an equivalent private option, due to the amazing facilities provided by the residence. Many residences have large communal areas, kitchens and even bonus features such as media rooms and gyms, making them great options for socialites and those wanting to get to know a wide range of other people!

Whole Apartments – If privacy is important to you, then a private apartment is a great option for you. But it is important to note that with added privacy, comes a higher rental price. We have a range of Studios, T1s, T2s and up, depending on the number of tenants you wish to share with. Any studios, or apartments, that we have available come with a fully equipped kitchen/kitchenette so there will always be sufficient cooking facilities for full-time use. 

An external or internal room – typically refers to a room that is located on the outer side of a building, meaning it has windows or walls that face the outside of the structure, providing views or direct access to the outdoors.
These rooms usually have natural light from external sources, as opposed to internal rooms, which are located within the interior of a building and may not have windows or direct exposure to outside spaces.

Scam and methods of finding accommodation

There are many ways to find accommodation in a city, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Whilst looking for a place here, you will come across several types and we wanted to take the time to inform you of them, and their potential risks.

Accommodation Platforms – Platforms for housing are a common tool for students to find accommodation and they can be reliable. Most platforms charge a service fee to cover the costs associated with running a platform, and the service fees vary from platform to platform. However, we advise you to be very cautious about the platform that you choose to reserve with. All of our properties are verified by us & we only work with landlords who we can trust, and this is part of the reason behind the service fee so that we can go and personally verify each apartment to ensure it is realistically presented on the platform.

General Marketplaces – Accommodation can also be advertised on general websites or social media, such as WhatsApp or Facebook. Beware that there are scams around, and many properties can be made to look official and legitimate. We do not recommend reserving an apartment directly from Facebook posts as you cannot ensure the validity of the apartment. We suggest going through registered organisations with previous bookings and positive reviews to ensure that the accommodation really exists.

Facebook Groups – The student posted in a Facebook group to say that they were searching for a room. They were contacted privately by a Facebook profile and then via email. The housing scams usually follow the pattern of a Facebook message and conversation. They will send you a photoshopped passport picture to ‘prove’ their identity and will ask you to transfer money to a non-Portuguese bank account, giving the reason that it belongs to a friend or a lawyer.

Here at Erasmus Life Lisboa – Housing, we see many students come to us for accommodation help and advice who have been scammed. It is shocking how often scams occur. Every semester we hear about this and we want to warn all students to be careful when searching for a room, especially when searching online.

So, here are a few tips to avoid Housing Rental Scams:

• If you are contacted by a private person, make sure to verify that they work for an official organisation/company and that they are able to continue the conversation through official channels.
• If the rental will not be done through a rental organisation/company, you can always ask for a video chat to see the apartment or the person – you can also ask for an ID to make sure this matches.
• What is the price? Check the rent of similar rooms to make sure that the rent is similar. If the room sounds too good to be true then it probably is!
• Where possible, visit the apartment to make sure it corresponds with the pictures you have been given.
• Search the address on google maps and make sure the building exists.
• If you are asked to make a payment to a bank account that is not in the name of the landlord OR to a bank account that is not in Portugal (the IBAN must start with PT) then this should catch your attention.

These tips are not 100% effective and we advise all students and interns to be wary when booking a room for your stay and to verify the room in every way possible.

If you have any doubts about a room you are about to book, you are welcome to contact Erasmus Life  Housing and we will do our best to verify it. 

Housing vocabulary

Essential housing terms that you will need to know if you’re looking for accommodation in Portugal

T0 – is a studio apartment

T1 – is a 1-bedroom apartment

T1+1 – is a 1-bedroom apartment with a living area that could be used as, and converted into, a second bedroom

T2 –  is a 2-bedroom apartment

Bills included up to €XX –  This implies that bills are included in the rental price, to an individual limit of €XX, and once that limit is exceeded the excess will be divided by all tenants equally.

Fully equipped – is one that is equipped with all required items of a household. From sofa to a table lamp, from bed to a dresser and even electronic appliances, utensils and glassware in the kitchen – a fully-furnished apartment has everything required in your day-to-day life.

Fully furnished – the rental property has all the furniture it needs.