Tips for Accommodation

Safety tips

  • Don't send large amounts of money to an unverified source. Gather as much information about the owner as you can, or use verified portals like Uniplaces to avoid any problems. Ask for pictures of the house, information on flatmates, and check the address on Google Maps.
  • Usually houses in Tomar and Abrantes haven't a contract but, they usually ask for safety deposit
  • In a similar way, it is better if you make payments by bank, rather than by hand, to keep some track.
  • Facebook groups can be a good resource to find a house, because some other flatmates may be posting the ad on behalf of the owner, so you will have some feedback on the house. However, be careful, and don't just take a stranger's word unless they give you the actual contact with the owner.
  • We recommend you to book between 2-3 nights in a hostel just to be safe if happen any problem with the room you booked.

Things to ask for

Contract: A contract makes the renting arrangement legal and you will have some protection if some issue comes up. We encourage you to look for rooms with a contract

Heating: Tomar has a priviledged weather, but houses often lack heating of any type. Check about this in advance (specially if you will stay in the city during the winter) to know if you should buy a portable heater, an extra blanket, or put some extra sweater in your suitcase. 
 

Does the room have a window?: It is very illegal to rent rooms without windows, so try to avoid this kind of rooms.

What does the price include?: Get a clear picture of what is included in the price. Normally you have or a all inclusive monthly rent for your room or room and expenses. Check if there is also cleaning service for the apartment and wether it includes only shared spaces or all the house.

Number of flatmates: The bigger the apartment the more noisy it can be, however this should be compensated in the price. Compare the price/flatmates/quality ratio before making a decision.

Number of bathrooms: Consider the number of bathrooms/room ratio.

Can I bring a friend: Some landlords are quite strict in letting you bring visitors to your house. Check this before renting a house, specially if you are planing to have many visits during the semester.