Renting to students can yield more per room, but it brings turnover, international students with no guarantor in Portugal, and its own rules on duration. A platform can find you the student. The contract, the Tax Authority and the receipts remain your job.
This guide is for the landlord: which term to choose, how to handle the deposit and the guarantor, room or whole flat, and what to do after the booking. It is part of our guides to lease agreements.
The essentials in 30 seconds
- You can rent to students for 1 to 11 months if the reason (education and training) is written into the contract. Without a written reason, the contract counts as a 1-year lease.
- The deposit is capped at 2 months' rent (art. 1076(2) of the Civil Code).
- A guarantor abroad is hard to enforce against: combine a deposit, a bank guarantee or rent insurance.
- After the booking: written contract, Modelo 2, stamp duty of 10% of one month's rent and electronic receipts.
Which term to choose: semester, academic year or 1 to 3 months
The Civil Code (art. 1095(2)) sets a minimum of 1 year for a fixed-term housing lease. Paragraph 3 of the same article lifts that minimum for non-permanent housing or special transitory purposes, education and training among them.
So a displaced student can rent for a semester, an academic year or a stay of 1 to 3 months (a summer course, an internship, a short Erasmus programme).
| Term | For whom | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 months | Summer course, internship, short Erasmus | Reason and dates in the contract, no automatic renewal |
| Semester (about 5 to 6 months) | Erasmus, exchange | Set the end date and the exit inspection |
| Academic year (for example, September to July) | Student staying all year | Agree what happens over the summer months |
A permanent-housing lease of 12 months or more renews automatically if nobody objects. If the student stays only a few months, the transitory contract is the cleaner choice, and it should state in writing that it does not renew. See the full framework in short-term leases and the explained template in temporary lease agreement in Portugal.
Room or whole flat
Rent per room in a university area can add up to more than the rent for the whole flat, but it means more contracts, more receipts and more move-outs.
| Per room | Whole flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Contracts | One per student, each with its own end date | A single one, with all students as tenants |
| Turnover | High, with partial vacancies | Low, but the vacancy is total |
| Management | More receipts, more Modelo 2 filings, rules for shared areas | Simpler, but define who answers for the full rent |
| Inventory | The room and the shared areas | The whole flat |
If you rent rooms, read our guide on renting a room and check the reference figures for Lisbon and Porto. To set the rent, use the rental market simulator.
Deposit, guarantor and guarantees for international students
The deposit is capped at 2 months’ rent (art. 1076(2) of the Civil Code), and the cap applies to the total secured, whether as a cash deposit or a bank guarantee. The part above the cap is void. Our guide to the rental deposit explains the return and the receipt.
The guarantor is usually one of the parents. If they live in another country, enforcing the guarantee is hard in practice. Alternatives include a bank guarantee, rent insurance, or a tighter selection of the applicant. See the guarantor guide and the alternatives to a guarantor.
Inventory and inspection
Students move with suitcases and little paperwork, so a signed inventory on entry and on exit is your best protection when it comes to returning the deposit. Use the inspection and inventory template and the inventory checklist, with dated photos.
Platforms to find students
Platforms such as Uniplaces, Inlife or Flatio help you find students and mid-term stays. Always check each one’s conditions and fees.
A booking on a platform does not replace the contract. The duty to have a written contract, report it to the Tax Authority and issue receipts remains with the landlord.
After the booking: what the landlord must do
- Sign the contract in writing, with the transitory reason, the start and end dates, the rent and the deposit.
- Report the contract to the Tax Authority with Stamp Duty Form 2 (Modelo 2), by the end of the month after it starts. In the Purpose field (Finalidade), choose "Habitacional (Não Permanente)".
- Pay the stamp duty: 10% of one month's rent. Each contract (each room) is reported separately.
- Issue the electronic rent receipt for each payment. It is mandatory.
- Declare the rent in your income tax return as category F income, at the flat rate of 25%.
The detailed steps are in the guide to registering a lease with the Tax Authority, the electronic rent receipt guide, stamp duty on rentals and landlord IRS.
The receipts matter to the family too: a displaced student can deduct part of the rent from their income tax, as long as the contract and the receipts are in order. We explain it in displaced student and IRS.
Frequently asked questions
Can I rent to a student for 3 months?
Yes, if the contract states a transitory reason of education and training (art. 1095(3) of the Civil Code), plus the start and end dates. If the reason is missing, the contract is deemed made for 1 year.
Should I ask an international student for a guarantor?
It is not mandatory, but it is a common guarantee. If the guarantor lives abroad, they are hard to enforce against. Consider a deposit of up to 2 months' rent, a bank guarantee or rent insurance.
How much deposit can I ask a student for?
At most 2 months' rent (art. 1076(2) of the Civil Code). The cap applies to the total secured, whether as a cash deposit or a bank guarantee.
If I rent by the room, do I need one contract per student?
As a rule, yes: one contract per room, each with its own student, dates, deposit and receipts. Each contract is reported to the Tax Authority with Modelo 2. Alternatively, you can sign a single contract for the flat with all the students as tenants.
What must I do after a student books through a platform?
Sign the written contract, report it to the Tax Authority (Modelo 2) by the end of the month after it starts, pay stamp duty of 10% of one month's rent and issue electronic rent receipts. The rent is category F income.
Sources: Civil Code, art. 1076 and art. 1095; Stamp Duty Form 2 instructions; CIRS, art. 31.
Note: informational article, not legal advice. Always confirm the current conditions with a professional.
