How to Rent a House in Porto Alegre

Porto Alegre is the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, the most southern state in Brazil. It is a great place to live and a great place to do business. The city, together with the metropolitan area, has 2 million inhabitants. There is high quality medical assistance, good educational institutions, low pollution levels and the most colorful variety of trees you can imagine!

The city has many distinct neighborhoods and suburbs. In general Bela Vista, Boa Vista, Moinhos de Vento, Tres Figueiras and sorroundings are chosen by expats, who prefer to live in apartments or townhouses near the Pan American School, Brazilian schools, shopping malls, golf club and the airport.

"Zona Sul," the southern part of town: Vila Assuncao, Tristeza, Vila Conceicao or Ipanema are chosen by those who enjoy living in larger houses with a pool, gardens, a beautiful view of Guaiba lake, and proximity to water sports clubs even though it's farther from the downtown area (12 to 25 km). There is good public transportation and school buses to these areas.

Porto Alegre offers a variety of housing options for rentals, from fancy 4-suite townhouses with modern security and maintenance services to furnished and unfurnished houses and apartments of different sizes, styles and prices. Rental prices are considered high, and there is also a condominium fee and IPTU (city taxes), but we always try to negotiate prices and/or improvements.

The contracts are good for 30 months and there is a 3-month fine for breaking it. For this reason, we suggest that our clients include in the contract a clause allowing them to give one month's notice after the 12th month in case they want to move somewhere else. There is also the need of a guarantor (to sponsor the contract) and it is usually done by the company the person is working for. After the signature of the contract, the client/tenant receives a "Vistoria," to check if everything is in good condition or needs maintenance so the estate is given back in the same condition. Don't be shy, be strict and inform the landlord or agency of anything that is not in the same condition as listed in order to avoid problems or extra expenses when you leave.

If these procedures seem difficult or time consuming, don't worry! VisitorsAssistants is here to help you with the entire process, from selecting and visiting homes and offices to the bureaucracy of contracts or hiring maintenance personnel to make your stay as pleasant and productive as possible.