How to find rent in Lagos – short & long term.

Whether you’re searching for abroad or locally for rent in Lagos, this guide will help you with some secrets and tips!

Here are some of the most popular platforms to find accommodation in Lagos. There are more listed below!

Before you rent, here are some tips for renting in Portugal:

  1. Don’t pay or sign a contract before you’ve seen the place.
  2. Take pictures of the place before you move in and keep them.
  3. Talk to the landlord before you move in if the place needs fixing.
  4. Ask the landlord about the fees listed in the contract.
  5. Ask if smoking is allowed and if pets are allowed, and see if you can change the rules.
  6. Ask the landlord to show you where the fuse box is and anything else interesting about the apartment.
  7. When you move in, write down or photograph the gas, electricity, and water meters. You will give the services these numbers.

One thing to note is the flux of summer and winter season – the extreme demand in summer means most landlords like to rent to vacationers between May-September for much higher while resetting to normal prices for the October – April time. As such, finding an annual contract is much harder.

flatio-logo
Mid-term stays here
Cheap short term stays

You will have listing by both individuals and agencies. While I generally prefer renting from individuals, renting from an agency will be easier when it comes to maintenance of the property – from repairing broken appliances to changing gas cylinders and more.

Discounts found here
Typical rental platform

Short term rentals (1-8 weeks)

housing-for-sale-lagos
Can find vacation homes for cheap on off-season

The best way to find accommodation or rent in Lagos for the short term is by way of the popular online rental platforms:

Flatio

A little more personal that AirBnB, Flatio is a similar platform designed for a little more human connection than AirBnB has become. This is a better choice for looking for monthly rentals than AirBnB. Payment for rent is done electronically through their payment portal and there are fees for landlord.

flatio-logo
Mid-term stays here

AirBnB

Everyone knows what AirBnB is at this point. You’ll find plenty of deals or opportunities at reasonable prices by searching for AirBnb’s in Lagos. Keep in mind the hidden AirBnB fees for both yourself and landlord. AirBnB is usually the most expensive choice

Private properties in Lagos

Sometimes people place their own apartments/houses/villas on Booking.com with reasonable rates. This is true especially during wintertime though during summer the prices become inflated. A couple friends found some really awesome deals through here so it’s worth a gander!

Cheap deals found here

Hostels in Lagos

In off-peak season (Oct-May) hostels in Lagos get quite a bit cheaper quickly! I’ve seen some for €10 per night while in peak season they’re €30! HostelWorld is what I use to compare prices and get in touch with hostels.

Give a call to the hostel or visit in person and ask about any week or month-long deals – you’ll be surprised at what you find!

Cheap accommodation here

Hotels in Lagos

While I almost never recommend hotels, they can be a great option in off-peak season and many hotels offer weekly/monthly rates which can even rival that of a typical AirBnB. The best hotels in Lagos can be found below. Give them a call and ask if they have special long-term rates.

Booking also has a lot of private AirBnB-esque residences for rental at fair prices, so I’d highly recommend searching through there to find something nice!

Cheap deals found here

Mid term (2-6 months)

I’ve done AirBnBs for 3+ month long periods where I would book a few days at first and discuss in person about cash payment for a discounted rate. This works very well and most landlords are open to this route. Between Sept-May you will not have a hard time at all.

We found Flatio to be the best option for mid-term rentals if nothing is available on the WhatsApp groups.

flatio-logo
Mid-term stays here

Depending on the duration of your stay, try out any of the platforms listed in the short term and long term rental sections

Long term rentals (6+ months)

lagos-portugal-at-night
Nighttime in the Lagos old town

Finding a long term apartment for rent in Lagos can be tricky due to the holiday rental season – many landlords like to rent for exorbitant prices in the summer to make big cash. As a result many places are only available from October until May (or shorter). This is tricky if you need an annual contract for visa purposes.

Your best bet is searching the below platforms to find long term rent in Lagos:

Idealista

The biggest housing platform in Portugal, Idealista, is free to use for both tenants, landlords, and agencies. Unless the ad is in English you should communicate in Portuguese or have a phone call for better success at arranging a viewing.

Popular free rental platform

OLX

The Craigslist or eBay Kleinanzeigen of Portugal, OLX has listings like Idealista has but less competition and less advertisements, geared more for a Portuguese audience. Would definitely recommend looking through here to find something from a local.

Regular classifieds website

ProperStar

Another rental platform like Idealista with no fees, you’ll find everything from houses for purchase or apartments for rent through ProperStar. Most of the time you’ll find a lot of duplicate listings from those on Idealista.

Typical free rental platform

Casa Sapo

Another usual rental platform with no fees, Casa Sapo more often has places for rent from agencies with occasional listings from individuals. I generally don’t recommend this platform unless you find a special listing from a particular agency you’re keen on.

Another free rental platform

In person

My biggest success has been going personally to agencies which have the place you’re interested in listed. I found my best accommodation by far by going to an agency and asking what they have and they even had something unlisted which fit my bill perfectly.

get-started-lagos-portugal

By far the best way to get things done in Portugal is going in person and knowing some Portuguese. Otherwise you’ll have a lot of e-mails and messages left unanswered.

Summary

Hope this little guide to finding rent in Lagos helps – it’s tough to find accommodation in the Algarve as so many people flock here (for good reason). Best of luck and let me know if you have any questions!

  • Removing Mold in the home – Portugal & Algarve specific tips!

    Removing Mold in the home – Portugal & Algarve specific tips!

  • Large explosions destroy beloved restaurant in Luz

    Large explosions destroy beloved restaurant in Luz

  • Complete guide to bike rentals in Lagos

    Complete guide to bike rentals in Lagos

Leave a Comment