The average price of rooms and apartments for students has risen by 10.5% in the last year, exceeding 400 euros in Lisbon and Porto, according to the latest report from the Student Accommodation Observatory published at the beginning of the month.
According to an analysis based on more than 20 real estate portals and websites of agencies in the sector, there were 2,892 rooms available in the 20 district capitals.
According to the data, quoted today in the Público newspaper, in most districts the increase was higher than the 10.5% of the national average, with increases of 33%, as in the case of Portalegre.
The exception is the districts of Beja, Bragança and Porto, whose increase was below 10%.
However, renting a room in Porto costs an average of 425 euros per month and 450 euros in Lisbon.
Setúbal with 350 euros, Faro with 339 or Aveiro with 320 are other cities where accommodation costs are high.
Some academic associations heard by Público said they had received reports of very high prices “practiced in the regulated market”, where houses and rooms are rented out without receipts”.
In addition to the prices charged, another problem reported by students is the need to pay two or three rents in advance.
The Observatory’s report is published by the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES) and “operationalized” by Alfredo Real Estate Analytics, a Portuguese start-up that has been working on it for three years.
The results of the first phase of the national competition for access to higher education will be announced this weekend.
