Lisbon increasingly attracts visitors who come to stay for extended periods, be it for work, study or leisure, many of whom choose to rent a short-term apartment while they’re here.
Traditional architecture in Lisbon (Photo: Luca Sartoni via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0)
For any such visitors keen to stay in a ‘home away from home’, rather than a traditional hotel, during their Lisbon adventure, there are several companies located across Portugal – and in Lisbon itself – that will help you find monthly or even weekly rental apartments in and around the city. To help you decide on the right one for your needs, we’ve done some research and selected five that we’d be happy to recommend.
Blueground
Founded in 2013, Blueground provide fully-furnished apartments and studios with flexible leases for stays of 30 days or more. Their professionally-managed, turnkey properties include everything from studios to one and two-bed apartments – and they are particularly known for their more upscale options. Stays of more than a month can result in substantial savings, since the longer your booking, the cheaper the nightly rate. During our online search for Lisbon apartments, we found rates starting from €1,430 per month for a one-bed apartment three kilometres northwest of the city centre. Overall the company lists over 150 available apartments in Lisbon, with most clustered around the central district. Booking is simple and intuitive, and there’s also a 24-hour support service accessed via a guest app. You can also save on your total by paying upfront.
Booking.com
World renowned as a hotel booking platform, Booking.com also features an impressive choice of apartments that are available for short-term lets of a week or less. When we conducted a search for short-term rentals in Lisbon for several dates we found a large assortment of available properties located in all areas of the city, with prices starting at €398 per week for a one-bed apartment in the Campo de Ourique district in Lisbon’s historic centre. All bookings on the platform also come with a Best Price Guarantee and there’s also a comprehensive reviews section featuring feedback from previous guests on all listed properties.
Homelike
Popular with anyone looking for monthly furnished rentals, Homelike offer a wide choice of apartments as well as coliving options. Flexible check-in and check-out dates allow guests to change their plans up to the last minute. While booking via other rental platforms can often be a touch convoluted, Homelike keeps it as simple as possible, showing photography and essential descriptions of the apartments, with icons used to display the property’s amenities. On our chosen dates, we found 168 apartments available in Lisbon with prices starting at €1,152 per month for a one-bed property in the district of São Sebastião da Pedreira, and rising to €10,054 for a lavish three-bed apartment close to the riverside.
Yon Living
Our number one pick for coliving in Lisbon is Yon Living, which started as a series of pop-up workation spaces around the world but is poised to become a global network of houses that all feel like home. Self-styled as redefining the concept of coliving, Yon pride themselves on understanding the impact of community when travelling and moving to a new place. They facilitate their guests to connect with each other and a destination on a deeper level, fostering bonds that will last a lifetime by creating an environment that allows people to truly experience, together, all that a city has to offer. In Lisbon, they offer a wide choice of beautifully designed, fully serviced and work-ready spaces in prime locations across the city. The rooms are available for 30-day minimum stays with flexible term stays while avoiding crazy holiday prices. They also have options for travellers that prefer to stay in solo apartments, but still be a part of the community.
Uniplaces
Established in 2013 with the aim of turning the old-fashioned rentals market upside down by getting rid of all the hassle and bureaucracy of renting, Uniplaces are our favourite pick for more affordable options, including flat shares and co-living. They offer accommodation for students, young professionals, digital nomads, travellers and families. Catering for anyone needing mid or long-term rentals, they have a wide range of properties for all budgets and preferences. When we searched for properties in Lisbon, we found around 300 apartments available in and around the city, with prices starting at €600 for a cosy studio in the Alfama district. Booking is simple too, and for extra peace of mind Uniplaces wait until 24 hours after you move-in to transfer your first month’s rent to the landlord, giving you time to confirm everything’s ok.