At a glance
- Two kinds of rental: a short let (aluguel por temporada) of up to 90 days, or a standard residential lease, usually written for 30 months
- You will need: a CPF, your passport (or RNM once you have it), and proof of income
- One guarantee per lease: a cash deposit of up to three months’ rent, a guarantor, or rent-guarantee insurance
- On top of the rent: the building fee (condomínio), property tax (IPTU) and utilities
- Never pay anything before you have seen the place, or had someone you trust see it, and signed a contract
Short lets or a long lease?
Short lets (aluguel por temporada)
Brazil’s rental law, the Lei do Inquilinato (Law 8.245/1991), has a separate category for stays of up to 90 days. The place is usually furnished, bills are often included, and the landlord may ask for the whole stay to be paid up front. This is what you are renting on Airbnb or a monthly listing, and it is the easiest way to start: no guarantor and little paperwork.
The trade-off is price. Per month, a short let costs noticeably more than the same apartment on a long lease, and in beach cities it can jump in summer (December to March).
Long leases (aluguel residencial)
Most residential leases are written for 30 months, because that length lets the landlord take the property back at the end without giving a reason. You can usually leave early with 30 days’ notice by paying a penalty, commonly three months’ rent reduced in proportion to the time you have already stayed. Read that clause before you sign.
Long-lease apartments are often unfurnished, which in Brazil can mean no fridge, no cooker and no light fittings. Look for mobiliado (furnished) or semimobiliado (built-in kitchen and wardrobes) in the listing.
What most nomads do
Book a one- or two-month short let in the neighbourhood you think you want, then look for a long lease in person once you have a CPF, a local number and a feel for the area. Signing a 30-month lease from abroad, for a street you have never walked down, is how people end up in the wrong place.
What a landlord will ask for
A CPF. The Brazilian tax number goes on every lease, every utility account and every Pix payment. It is free, and you can get it from a Brazilian consulate before you fly or from the Receita Federal once you arrive.
Identity. Your passport is enough to sign. Once your residence is approved, your RNM number and CRNM card make everything smoother.
Proof of income. Landlords and agencies usually want income of about three times the rent. Foreign payslips, contracts and bank statements are often accepted, especially with a translation, but some agencies will only look at Brazilian income. That is where the guarantee matters.
A guarantee. The law allows several kinds and the next section covers them. Whichever you use, a lease can only have one.
Deposits, guarantors and rent-guarantee insurance
This is the step that trips up most foreigners. A Brazilian lease is backed by one of these, and the law does not allow a landlord to stack two:
Cash deposit (caução)
Up to three months’ rent, held until you leave and returned, adjusted, if the apartment is handed back in the agreed state. The simplest option for a foreigner with savings, and worth offering upfront when a listing asks for a guarantor.
Guarantor (fiador)
Someone who promises to pay if you do not, usually required to own property in the same city. The traditional option, and close to impossible for a new arrival.
Rent-guarantee insurance (seguro-fiança)
An insurer guarantees the rent in exchange for a yearly premium, usually a fraction of a year’s rent and not refundable. It needs a credit check, which is harder without a Brazilian income history.
Capitalisation bond (título de capitalização)
You buy a savings bond for a set amount, often several months’ rent, which the landlord can claim against. You get it back at the end, with little or no interest.
Some rental platforms replace all of this with their own guarantee and a credit check, which is why they are popular with foreigners. Approval still depends on the check, so apply early and have your documents ready.
The costs on top of the rent
- Condomínio: the monthly building fee for maintenance, staff, lifts and security. In a building with a doorman and a pool it can be a large share of the rent, so always ask for the total.
- IPTU: the municipal property tax. Most contracts pass it to the tenant, paid monthly or as a yearly lump sum.
- Utilities: electricity, gas, water (sometimes inside the condomínio) and internet, which you set up in your own name with your CPF.
- Annual rent increase: the contract names an index, often the IGP-M or the IPCA, and the rent moves with it once a year.
- Agency fees: in most cities the landlord pays the agency, not the tenant. Be wary of anyone asking you for a “reservation fee” to hold a flat.
Listings usually show the rent and, separately, the condomínio and IPTU. Compare places on the total.
Where to find a place
- Rental apps and portals: QuintoAndar, Zap Imóveis, VivaReal and OLX list most long-term apartments, with photos, floor area and the full monthly cost.
- Short-let and monthly sites: Airbnb and similar, filtered for monthly stays, which often come with a discount.
- Local Facebook and WhatsApp groups: every nomad city has them, and they are where sublets and handovers from leaving foreigners turn up.
- Coliving: the easiest first month in a new city, with no contract to negotiate and a community built in.
- Walking the streets: “Aluga-se” signs on buildings, and the doorman (porteiro), who usually knows which flats are coming up.
Avoiding scams and bad contracts
- Do not pay a deposit or “reservation” before you, or someone you trust, has seen the apartment in person.
- Pay to the landlord or agency named on the contract, never to a third party’s personal account. A Pix payment shows the recipient’s name before you confirm it, so check it matches.
- Ask the agency or landlord for proof they own or manage the property. For a direct landlord, the property’s registry record (matrícula) shows the owner.
- Insist on a move-in inspection report (vistoria) with photos, and keep a copy. It is what protects your deposit when you leave.
- If the contract is only in Portuguese, read it with a translation before you sign, especially the early-exit penalty and who pays the condomínio and IPTU.
Best neighbourhoods in Florianópolis
Florianópolis is Brazil’s best-known nomad base, and the island is big enough that the neighbourhood decides your whole routine. Our guide to moving to Florianópolis covers prices and getting around in detail.
- Lagoa da Conceição: the social centre, with most of the cafés, coworkings and other foreigners. The easiest first stint.
- Campeche: quieter and residential, close to the beach and the surf, and popular with longer-stay remote workers.
- Novo Campeche: the newer end of Campeche, with modern apartment buildings a short walk from the beach and a growing run of cafés and restaurants.
- Rio Tavares: between Lagoa and Campeche, so both are a short drive away, with supermarkets, gyms and newer condos. A practical base if you have a car.
- Centro, Agronômica and Trindade: the practical city side of the island, near the bridges, the university and most services, and usually cheaper.
- Santo Antônio de Lisboa and Jurerê: the north of the island, calmer and more upmarket, with sunsets over the bay.
Best neighbourhoods in São Paulo
São Paulo is a big-city choice: the best food, the most work events, and long distances. Being near a metro line matters more than anything else.
- Pinheiros: the default for remote workers, with cafés, coworkings, restaurants and two metro lines.
- Vila Madalena: next door to Pinheiros, more bohemian, with bars, street art and a younger crowd.
- Jardins and Consolação: central, walkable and close to Avenida Paulista, with plenty of furnished apartments.
- Itaim Bibi and Vila Olímpia: the business district, newer buildings, and handy if you meet clients in person.
- Vila Mariana: residential and quieter, near Ibirapuera Park and on the metro, often better value.
Best neighbourhoods in Rio de Janeiro
In Rio the beach neighbourhoods of the South Zone are where most foreigners live. Safety varies from street to street, so look at the exact block, ideally at night, before you sign.
- Botafogo: the best value in the South Zone, on the metro, with a lively bar scene and views of Sugarloaf.
- Flamengo and Laranjeiras: residential and quieter, with older, larger apartments and a park along the bay.
- Copacabana: the most rental stock and the most activity, busy and convenient, from tired to very good depending on the building.
- Ipanema and Leblon: the most sought-after and the most expensive, walkable and close to the best beaches.
- Barra da Tijuca: newer buildings with pools and gyms, but you will want a car.
Paying rent when your income is abroad
Rent, the condomínio and most bills are paid in reais, almost always by Pix or boleto. A foreign card does not work for either, and an international transfer every month loses money on the exchange rate and takes days to arrive.
Liminal lets you hold your home currency and pay by Pix in reais from the same wallet, without a Brazilian bank account. That covers the deposit before you have a local account and the rent every month after.
The short version
- Get a CPF before you start looking.
- Start with a one- or two-month short let in the area you think you want.
- Look for a long lease in person, and compare places on rent plus condomínio plus IPTU.
- Offer a cash deposit or rent-guarantee insurance when a listing asks for a guarantor.
- Never pay before seeing the place and signing, and pay only the person or company on the contract.
- Get a move-in inspection report with photos.