LONG TERM RENTAL

quintoandar.com.br

This site has a good selection.

Another option is contact LL of AirBnB units you have stayed in and offer a long term contract off airbnb.

Hi there.

renting an apartment for a long stretch is easy and straightforward. There are many ways to accomplish the task depending on whether you can speak Portuguese or not. If you can read Portuguese, I suggest you visit your local ads online and contact the landlord directly. If, however, your Language proficiency is limited, then by all means contact a realtor who will help you find the right place at the price you want.

Ps: RBNB tends to be expensive because they tack on their fees. I know since I use their services renting out my pousada.

out of curiosity, where in Brazil are you looking to rent?

Good luck

Quinto andar,might be an option

Hey Marco!

I am a real estate agent in Salvador.

Here contracts are for 30 months, with the option to leave after 12 months without penalty.

What a lot of people do is to find something on Airbnb, and tell the owner you’ll rent one month with the option to rent longer. A lot of owners are willing to do this off the site, because they don’t pay fees to Airbnb.

Keep yourself safe and get a contract from them if this is what you decide to do.  Otherwise, I find Brazilians are a bit leery to sign a long term contract with a gringo, especially if he doesn’t speak a lot of Portuguese.

04/11/23 @OnlyRoddPremium.  It's difficult for a foreigner to get a longterm lease without a resident visa.

hi - Try looking on imovelweb I've rented 3 times through this as some ads are through agents and others are direct with the owner.     

as someone else said most contracts are 36 months but you can leave after 12 months.    My advice would be to have a trustworthy Engish (or whatever your native language is) lawyer check the contract for you.      when you move in take videos/photos of absolutely everything to show the condition and send them via email to the lawyer, owner, or agent so there is a record of the dates you took the photos.      it may seem like overkill but I,ve been living here on and off for 12 years and now realise it's so worth spending the money to make sure there's nothing dodgy in the contract and you are protected.     

if you are going to rent an apto or live in a condominium check the fees as they can and do suddenly decide to change the colour scheme or put a heater in the pool and everyone gets hit with sharing the cost whether they wanted this change or not and it can be huge.    not saying this will happen but it can so get everything checked.    if there's no condo fee make sure its clear who is responsible for any repairs and especially if there is a roof involved (more in the case of renting houses:

very best of luck.

@OnlyRoddPremium

In what area of Brazil are you looking? I have a couple of rental apartments in Brazil.  The contracts are typically for 36 months, with the option to leave after 12 months without penalty, I have done 24-month contracts. With foreign income or tenants with limited history, we use renters insurance that guarantees rental payment. The cost to the tenant is about R$100 per month in addition to their rent.

@rraypo my Brazilian fiancé and I are living in floripa. She has a (very) small house in Inglese but we are looking for something larger to rent. Do you have anything on the island?

Hi all! my Brazilian fiancé and I are living in floripa and are also looking for a long-term rental. She has a (very) small house in Inglese but we are looking for something larger to rent. Can someone help us find something to rent on the island?

@rraypo my Brazilian fiancé and I are living in floripa. She has a (very) small house in Inglese but we are looking for something larger to rent. Do you have anything on the island?
-@alevinthal

No, sorry, I am in both SP and now in Sao Jose to Rio Preto, State of SP

@chopthebench actually, if there is a ‘ taxa extra’ to pay for improvements, the renter never pays it. The taxa extra is the responsibility of the owner.

04/13/23 @chopthebench actually, if there is a ‘ taxa extra’ to pay for improvements, the renter never pays it. The taxa extra is the responsibility of the owner.
-@Kitty Faria

This may vary by market, but my experience in Manaus has been that the tenant is stuck with any special assessment ("cota extra"), and with 100% of any increase in the regular monthly assessment that's passed during the lease period. 

Floripa is currently one of the hottest rental markets in the country, and I'd be surprised if landlords there are feeling much pressure to make concessions.  This is a topic to nail down in the lease.

Hello everyone !
Besides Airbnb, do you know or do you have a link for foreigners to rent an apartment for a 1 , 2 or 3-year rental period?
I need to know if can get in contact with the landlord or do I need a real state agent.
-@OnlyRoddPremium

There are your typical portals ( viva real, loft, zap ), and some of the obstinate and stubborn like myself who ran on craiglist.org and youtube.   

The paid media portal  is extremely consolidated.  And, as a past paying subscriber's own experiences, lacking improvements and reporting capabilities.   

Most of residential leases in Brazil are your typical 1-3 year leases.  You get your 30-36 month term lease with a default opt out in 12 months without incurring in a penalty.

Also, if your choice of RE broker has good search instincts, he/she can get around finding what you want. At least in Sao Paulo, there are virtually no exclusivity to rental and sales listings.   

And as a fair warning...

Loft and quintoandar.com.br has tons of issues with complaints. 

Just plug the domain sake in  ( Reclameaqui.com.br  ) and you will see them by the buckets.    Most of the time, there are issues with landlords and tenants as for one of your assigned point of contact dropping the ball and handling you over.  Lost paperwork, monies being held, missed appointments.    Not too mention brokers complaining of listings they never got compensated for, or worse, deals they did not get paid for from these portals.

It can be quite maddening.

The best cure is to locate a Real Estate Broker that might be located in the area you seek tenancy.  And be specific.

One of the things I do with prospective buyers, not as much with tenants, is to give them pointers on neighborhoods they need to explore on their own, and do it so alone.   I might tell them, go to streets such and such.

That gives them the opportunity to seek value priced locations that are often unheralded, and might become a sweet scoop. A lot of expats tend to fall into commonplace neighborhoods and miss out big in terms of getting what they really can afford and want. 

Another benefit of making these recommendations is that, unlike the US, there are no "Fair Housing Laws" in writing in Brazil, other than making a broker liable for denying tenancy on basis of race/sexual orientation/religion/ social strata status.   So it gives a broker a greater deal of latitude in "showcasing like it is" without prejudice or tiptoeing.   In the US, brokers need to be tight lip, before obvious questions for fear of losing their license or being slapped a huge fine.

And in closing, if you do your pounding the pavement in the neighborhood you plan to actually rent, you can choose the most capable broker/agent to open the most doors you can stomach in any given day. 

Local is better. Even at the expense of not getting someone who can't speak English. 

HI all, I'm new to this forum but not to Brasil.. Thank you for all your information!

I have visited on and off in Rio for the last decade , and am trying to find a longer term rental in Copa, and was looking at Quinto Andar, as I have an old RNE (I lived here in 2009-11), but it does seem like everyone says QA isn't really good. We looked at a couple places with the 'agent' from QA but the whole silicon valley vibe turned me off.

Is imovelweb better in people's opinion?  I really don't want AirBNB, nor have I found anything great from them at this time. If anyone has a good agent to recommend, that would be great too.

Get a local Licensed Real Estate Broker who operates in the area.

Your choice of a non affiliated one, or one out of an office.

The key is getting someone to open doors for you

I already spent time explaining the process, so look for related posts with my thorough answers. 

The only thing portals are good for is to compare baseline rates.    That is all.

Just Google Imobiliaria Copacabana, and see what entries it pulls.  Then weed out the ones not located in the targeted neighborhood.

In this business, there is no substitute for the human element. Portals , or platforms can't deliver the knowledge and the experience of being taking to see places. 

quintoandar.com.br
This site has a good selection.

Another option is contact LL of AirBnB units you have stayed in and offer a long term contract off airbnb.
-@marcotenore

Quinto Andar, plug in Reclameaqui dot com dot br. It's the Brazilian gripe portal for poor customer service.  You will see what's what.

Get a locally established broker with lots of advertised listings. 

Thanks! I knew QA felt too good to be true...

The issue for me is the fiador. I don't have one. In the past its been a nightmare for friends. Maybe things are different these days... But I didnt want to start looking and talking and then have to run up against that.

It is surprising how much practices vary from region to region. Where I am, rental contracts are nearly always just for 12 months and, while condo fees (HOA) are often described, in practise they are included in the rent, and it is the owner who takes the responsibility to actually pay them along with IPTU, SPU and bombeiros. This is to make sure they are in fact paid, as there can be severe penalties in some cases.

I would agree with sptrealestatebroker - always use a CRECI licensed real estate broker.

@bolinho_expat - a guarantor can be tricky if you do not have existing good contacts, but the easiest way round that might be to offer a decent cash deposit as security...

It is surprising how much practices vary from region to region. Where I am, rental contracts are nearly always just for 12 months and, while condo fees (HOA) are often described, in practise they are included in the rent, and it is the owner who takes the responsibility to actually pay them along with IPTU, SPU and bombeiros. This is to make sure they are in fact paid, as there can be severe penalties in some cases.
I would agree with sptrealestatebroker - always use a CRECI licensed real estate broker.

@bolinho_expat - a guarantor can be tricky if you do not have existing good contacts, but the easiest way round that might be to offer a decent cash deposit as security...
-@Peter Itamaraca

Correct.  But the cash deposit, by  law, exacts that you can only pay up to 3 month's worth of rent, minus HOA fees and taxes.  The only way to skirt that rule is if , in lieu of the cash payment, a bond payment is compromised ( a.k.a. Titulo de Capitalizacao ). Then, all of the sudden, a 3 month can become a 4-6 months easy without breach of the tenancy by-laws.. 

The practice to absorb the HOA Fee and Property Tax ( aka IPTU ), into the rental rate comes from the fact many tenants go delinquent on those obligations, leaving the landlord to "hang out on the dry". The still standing practice to compartimentalize these fees has its roots, my educated  guess, on those days of soaring inflation ( 80''s and 90's ) , so that landlords would not have to hedge cost increments besides owed rent money.

There is no way to make one or the other illegal. They are both legit, for as long as this is spelled out in an enforceable  contract.

For you cityfolk who may not know, SPU (Secretaria do Patrimônio da União) basically levies additional taxes on any land or homes that are located (if I remember correctly) within 33m of the 1831 high tide mark of any tidal waters, be they ocean or river, or even now-dried-up river bed.

I won't bore with the reasons for these taxes, nor how much they are hated by coastal residents, but suffice to say that there is an extra tax to pay when you buy, called laudemio, and another annual one. And they do not disappear after 5 years, unlike some others...!

For you cityfolk who may not know, SPU (Secretaria do Patrimônio da União) basically levies additional taxes on any land or homes that are located (if I remember correctly) within 33m of the 1831 high tide mark of any tidal waters, be they ocean or river, or even now-dried-up river bed.
I won't bore with the reasons for these taxes, nor how much they are hated by coastal residents, but suffice to say that there is an extra tax to pay when you buy, called laudemio, and another annual one. And they do not disappear after 5 years, unlike some others...!
-@Peter Itamaraca

this is actually really interesting :-) you may bore with details (or link elsewhere!) if you have any more on this. sometimes colonial history really interests me.

@bolinho_expat I am not sure you will find this interesting, but Brazil reserves the right to defend itself from attack by sea by retaining ownership of these lands, and you pay taxes for the privilege of occupying them. That is the argument of the SPU. Everyone else in Brazil says it is just another way to tax people who can afford to live by the sea, etc.

There have been several court cases against this tax, the last one I recall being several years ago, when the SPU were told they could not tax on the value of the home - only on the land, as this is what they retain ownership of. There are also hundreds of examples of this tax being applied wrongly, to some homes 800m from the water, for example.

However, they cannot simply chuck you out of your home because they want to park a tank there, they must make a compulsory purchase (for a fair market value) and buy your home from you - so you would receive compensation.

But the thought of Brazil parking tanks on the beach to defend the nation in this day and age of modern warfare, does make a lot of people smile...!

@Peter Itamaraca actually that is really interesting, lol. i can imagine necessity for easement, right of way, etc along waterways. now the fact that it is used unfairly or in a corrupt manner... that is terrible!

now back to look at apartments! i don't mind finding a CRECI agents, and I speak pretty decent PT, my only real issue is that I dont have a residency visa (i have an RNE from when I lived here many, many years ago, but that card has expired). I'm currently on a digital nomad visa.

I'm also so reluctant to deal with the various fees and all the contas do consumo I would need to put in my name. I would love it if there was an alternative to airbnb that allowed better longterm. A boy can dream...

I used tabas.com

I have one other question, if you all may indulge it.

I found a (reputable, CRECI-accredited) realtor here in Rio that has confirmed twice that I can use only a CPF, and not an RNE (or newer CRNM) to sign a lease. Great. I can find something, have a Brasilian friend/lawyer look at the contract and make sure it tracks.

But what seems to be the issue according to what I can see, are the contas do consumo - light, gas, electricity, agua, claro/internet... It seems like these, on the cadastro sites, require a photo ID of a valid RNE or CRNM.  As I've written up thread, I have an *old* expired RNE from when I lived here in 2010, but surely that wouldn't work ,right?  I am frankly having a hard time knowing which consumo services which building, there doesnt seem to be an easy repository anywhere that I can find.

Does anyone have any insight into this?  It would be obviously hilarious if I signed a lease somewhere and couldn't get any utilities for it.

I have one other question, if you all may indulge it.
I found a (reputable, CRECI-accredited) realtor here in Rio that has confirmed twice that I can use only a CPF, and not an RNE (or newer CRNM) to sign a lease. Great. I can find something, have a Brasilian friend/lawyer look at the contract and make sure it tracks.

But what seems to be the issue according to what I can see, are the contas do consumo - light, gas, electricity, agua, claro/internet... It seems like these, on the cadastro sites, require a photo ID of a valid RNE or CRNM. As I've written up thread, I have an *old* expired RNE from when I lived here in 2010, but surely that wouldn't work ,right? I am frankly having a hard time knowing which consumo services which building, there doesnt seem to be an easy repository anywhere that I can find.

Does anyone have any insight into this? It would be obviously hilarious if I signed a lease somewhere and couldn't get any utilities for it.
-@bolinho_expat

RNE is the equivalent of a RG, which is a personal ID document used for tracking citizens.  It's issued by the Federal Police.

Your credit report tracks your delinquencies through your CPF ID number, not the RNE nor the RG.

Unless they want to track your criminal records, which is obtained through the RG/RNA, this requirement is baseless and full of nonsense. 

@Peter Itamaraca actually that is really interesting, lol. i can imagine necessity for easement, right of way, etc along waterways. now the fact that it is used unfairly or in a corrupt manner... that is terrible!
now back to look at apartments! i don't mind finding a CRECI agents, and I speak pretty decent PT, my only real issue is that I dont have a residency visa (i have an RNE from when I lived here many, many years ago, but that card has expired). I'm currently on a digital nomad visa.

I'm also so reluctant to deal with the various fees and all the contas do consumo I would need to put in my name. I would love it if there was an alternative to airbnb that allowed better longterm. A boy can dream...
-@bolinho_expat

You rent anything on a term lease , apartment, house. you are paying for those fees one way or the other. 

The Tax Bill and the Condo/HOA does has been itemized in separate thanks to those runaway inflation days back in the 80's and 90's.   Back then, outside outlined rent increases pegged to inflation, the landlord had no recourse against what would come out of the condo dues and tax hikes.   

And the same went for the tenant, who could not dispute condo fees and tax rate increases as being fair and pegged to the real amount to be paid.

So these items are outlined separately as to make you aware you also owe these line items in full, as they are corrected. 

If you want to have a monthly lump sum payment, you are to open the door for gouging from the other side, just

as the landlord could subsidize your living costs. It is a double edged sword. 

@chopthebench actually, if there is a ‘ taxa extra’ to pay for improvements, the renter never pays it. The taxa extra is the responsibility of the owner.
-@Kitty Faria

What she meant to say is ( and did not explain thoroughly ) , on an annual basis, the Condo Association, through their scheduled meets, decides on major improvements or overdue repairs.   

The way condo fees are structured ( the breakdown ), the total  sum of dues collections is earmarked  to fund payroll ( that includes payroll taxes, and pension contributions ) , materials, mandatory maintenance contracts ( such as elevators ,timely inspections, third party cleaning crews, landscapers ), and often a reserve fund for general maintenance ( grounds keeping, landscaping, replacing bulbs ).

Also, on that fee, varying from building to building, there is water consumption.

Major improvements or overdue repairs are budgeted, but not fully funded, improvements.  They condo association, through majority vote, must then, once the budget is formalized, collect the due amount, often in installments against forward repairs. 

A few examples...

-Handicapped Access on older buildings with steep access points.

-Building a new gymnasium , whereas in the past it did not have one.

-Building a rainwater collection system ( including tanks, plumbing, pumps, waterproofing ).

-Elevator major repairs ( such as replacing pulling cables, hoist machinery 0.

-A severance package for a long time employee when there is a need to pare down payroll.

Now,, completing the outline...

"

Major improvements or overdue repairs are budgeted, but not fully funded, improvements.  The condo association, through majority vote, must then, once the budget is formalized, collect the due amount, often in installments against forward repairs.  "

This  monthly dues line item, is borne by the landlord, not by the tenant. By law.   So landlords must foot the bill on major agreed upon improvements, mostly on performed on  common grounds .

Say, the monthly condo due took a bump from the usual R$ 800 / month towards R$ 1,200.00,/ month  in a single fiscal year, and that is to pay for some new  facade paint job.  The R$ 600,00 comes out of  the landlord's pocket.

Say, the monthly condo due took a bump from the usual R$ 800 / month towards R$ 1,200.00,/ month in a single fiscal year, and that is to pay for some new facade paint job. The R$ 600,00 comes out of the landlord's pocket.
-@sprealestatebroker

In plainspeak, if the monthly fees increase from R$800 to R$1200 - an increase of R$400 per month - it is the owner who pays not the tenant. That is because, in the long term, it is the owner who will benefit...

Never agree to a rental contract that requires the tenant to pay any increase such as this. Best way to do this? Use a CRECI registered real estate broker who you have a relationship with, a contract that you fully (and completely) understand or an attorney...

correct.  My math is wrong.   R$ 400,00 bump.   ( that's speed typing at late night )

The Portuguese Term to be employed is "Rateio" ( condo bump on rate to cover for improvements or large repairs ).

You want to make sure whoever writes the rental contract to exclude the "Rateio" from your condo dues bill.   

Your landlord has that amount discriminated in their monthly statements. So it should not be so hard to accommodate this, in the rental contract.

But what seems to be the issue according to what I can see, are the contas do consumo - light, gas, electricity, agua, claro/internet... It seems like these, on the cadastro sites, require a photo ID of a valid RNE or CRNM. aving a hard time knowing which consumo services which building, there doesnt seem to be an easy repository anywhere that I can find.

-@bolinho_expat

That has always been funny to me. I own two apartments as rentals, one bought before I had RNM, the other one after. I use both as rentals. Not keeping an established home address has made life tough for utilities etc. I stay in them for a few months whenever they become vacant. Even though I own homes, the companies still require MY address, not the address of the rentals. So, I have to use the address of a friend, the same as my bank.

Word from the folks at Vivo, and that includes wireless, broadband, cable TV....

In order to provision residential services, they need two forms of ID, one being with a photo.

One needs to be your CPF Id. The other might or not be your RNM ID.  You may substitute for another form of photo identification hat bears your name and photo. 

@Kitty Faria

I am looking for a 1 year rental in Salvador -  2 bedrooms  2 bath   washer dryer wifi

@ebenford

Hello and welcome !

Please create an advert in the housing section : https://www.expat.com/en/housing/south-america/brazil/

Thank you

Bhavna

    @Kitty Faria

I am looking for a 1 year rental in Salvador -  2 bedrooms  2 bath   washer dryer wifi
   

    -@ebenford

You can sign a 30 month lease. The Law provides that if you meet 12 ( twelve )  consecutive months paying rent and other charges ( property tax and condo fees were applicable ),  then you can break the lease at the 13th month without being liable for any fines.

Just provide your 60 day notice before the first year expires.

As for collecting security deposit, I would suggest going for a third party, rather choosing a Titulo de Capitalizacao ( Security Bond issued by the same insurer who provides Seguro Fianca policies ).

Try to haggle on a 4 month bond.  There are no caps on bonds, as opposed to security deposits that cap @ 3 month up front. 

Here's what is needed to be understood on why there are standard 30 month residential leases. 

It became a standard lease when the country experienced triple digit inflation ( late 70's through mid 90's ).  it was meant as a  protection to tenants to be safeguarded  against rent hikes from one year to the next. 

The offset towards landlords was offered through allowing them into yearly indexed adjustments on rental rates.  IGPM index was then adopted , in Real Estate transactions for the most part.

The same reason for those 30 month lease terms  also brough the itemization of other payments, all borne by the tenant, such as Condo/Hoa dues, property taxes, metered utilities.  A landlord could be forced to bear spikes on rates adjustments, and these provisions under law mitigate the losses to landlords.

Once again, Federal law, allows you to break the contract, with due notification, once your lease elapsed twelve consecutive months.   

If you need clarification from the source, just Google "Lei do Inquilinato" and get it translated.   It's all there. 

if you are brought in by a broker, then you can suggest you pick up  the broker's fee  up front, making sure the landlord is aware of such arrangement. 

Security Bond ( Titulo de Capitalizacao ) is the best way to go about your Security Deposit, as it is redeemable once you met the terms of your initial 12 month term.   Just make sure you check with the bond issuer to see if you are entitled the refund.