Portuguese · Home & repairs · Elementary

Questions to ask when viewing a flat in Portugal

Ask what matters in Portugal: “É mobilada?”, “O aquecimento é elétrico ou a gás?” (many flats have no central heating) and “É sossegado aqui?”. Look for damp and mention it: “Reparei numa mancha de humidade na parede”. Before deciding, ask “Posso ver o contrato antes de assinar?”.

Try it · about two minutes

On a flat viewing you ask about the heating, the noise, the light and which furniture stays.

You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

The conversation

Estate agent
Entre, por favor.
Come in, please.
You
É mobilada?
Is it furnished?
Estate agent
Tem alguma dúvida?
Any questions?
You
O aquecimento é elétrico ou a gás?
Is the heating electric or gas?
Estate agent
Mais alguma coisa?
Anything else?
You
É sossegado aqui?
Is it quiet here?
In the bedroom you notice a dark patch in the corner of the wall.
You
Reparei numa mancha de humidade na parede.
I noticed a damp patch on the wall.
Estate agent
Tem emprego?
Do you have a job?
You
Sim, trabalho numa empresa de tecnologia.
Yes, I work for a tech company.
Estate agent
O último inquilino sai na sexta-feira.
The last tenant leaves on Friday.
You
Posso ver o contrato antes de assinar?
Can I see the contract before I sign?

Key phrases

É mobilada?
Is it furnished?
Quantos quartos tem?
How many bedrooms does it have?
O aquecimento é elétrico ou a gás?
Is the heating electric or gas?
É sossegado aqui?
Is it quiet here?
As despesas estão incluídas?
Are the bills included?
Reparei numa mancha de humidade na parede.
I noticed a damp patch on the wall.
Quando posso entrar?
When can I move in?
Posso ver o contrato antes de assinar?
Can I see the contract before I sign?
Tem emprego?
Do you have a job?
A caução é de um mês de renda?
Is the deposit one month’s rent?

Good to know in Portugal

Heating isn’t a given

Many flats in Portugal have no central heating, and homes can be cold and damp in winter. Ask what heating there is, and whether the flat gets the sun.

A casa apanha sol?

Does the flat get the sun?

T1, T2, T3

Listings count bedrooms: a T1 has one bedroom plus a living room, a T2 has two. A T0 is a studio.

Before you sign

1
Expect questions about your job and income, and sometimes a request for a guarantor, um fiador.
Tem emprego?Do you have a job?
2
Read the contract before you sign it.
Posso ver o contrato antes de assinar?Can I see the contract before I sign?
3
You usually pay a deposit, a caução, and some rent in advance when you sign.
A caução é de um mês de renda?Is the deposit one month’s rent?

More situations in Portuguese

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Keep these phrases in Frasa

Frasa is an iPhone app for the conversations in front of you. Save phrases like these, rehearse them out loud, and they come back until they stick.

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AI-generated. May be inaccurate.