Rental: there are 23 families interested in each house advertised

Demand for rental homes in Portugal remains high despite rising rents

The demand for homes to rent in Portugal remains quite strong, despite rental prices recording an annual increase of 4.1% in the third quarter of 2025. During this period, each rental listing received an average of 23 inquiries before leaving the market, according to a recent analysis by idealista. Still, the pressure of demand on the supply of rental homes has eased somewhat, as the number of inquiries per listing fell by 18% over the past year.

“Although the number of inquiries per listing has slightly decreased since the beginning of the year, the demand for homes to rent remains strong. This slowdown does not reflect a lower interest from families, but rather a greater availability of properties on the market,” explains Ruben Marques, spokesperson for idealista, acknowledging that “rental prices remain high and beyond the reach of many Portuguese households.”

Homes for rent in Portugal

Santarém was the city that received the most inquiries per home for rent

Which cities have the highest demand for rental homes?

The Portuguese cities where rental home listings received the most inquiries in the third quarter of 2025 were Santarém and Ponta Delgada, both with an average of 35 inquiries per listing. Next come Portalegre and Leiria (30), followed by Évora and Setúbal (29), completing the group of locations with the highest demand during the analyzed period.

Cities with intermediate levels of rental inquiries include Bragança (24) and Guarda (24). Meanwhile, Coimbra, Vila Real, and Viseu recorded 21 inquiries per listing, followed by Faro and Lisbon (20), Funchal and Castelo Branco (19), Aveiro and Braga (17), Porto (15), and Viana do Castelo (12).

Renting a home: how do inquiries vary in major cities?

Data from Q3 2025
Number of inquiries per listing

Source: idealista | Created with Datawrapper

Rental demand pressure decreases in 15 cities

The average number of inquiries per rental listing fell in 15 district capitals/autonomous regions and increased in 4 major cities in the third quarter of 2025 compared to the same period the previous year.

The largest increases were recorded in Ponta Delgada (+18%), Évora (+12%), Guarda (+12%), and Funchal (+7%), highlighting strong demand in these rental markets.

On the other hand, there were significant drops in inquiries in several major cities, with the steepest declines observed in Portalegre (-46%), Castelo Branco (-28%), Viana do Castelo (-25%), Faro (-22%), Braga (-20%), and Coimbra (-20%).

There was also a reduction in the number of inquiries for rental homes over the past year in Vila Real (-18%), Lisbon (-17%), Aveiro (-17%), Santarém (-16%), Viseu (-15%), Leiria (-15%), Porto (-11%), Setúbal (-8%), and Bragança (-2%).

Evolution of inquiries per rental listing

Change between Q3 2025 and the same period of the previous year (%)