What is the minimum length of a rental contract in Portugal?

The headline figure is one year, but the renewal rules are what actually decide how long you can stay.

The minimum and the renewal

A contrato de arrendamento habitacional with a fixed term has a twelve month minimum. When that term ends, a contract of one year or more renews automatically for three years unless one side stops it in time. The landlord cannot oppose renewal during the first three years without grounds set out in the law, which is the protection most newcomers do not realise they have.

Anything shorter than twelve months sits outside this regime. Furnished flats advertised for six months, corporate lets and rooms in shared flats often run on short term or tourist arrangements, and those come with none of the renewal protection.

Notice periods

For the landlord opposing renewal, the notice period scales with the length of the contract: 240 days for contracts of six years or more, 120 days for contracts of one to six years, and 60 days for contracts under one year.

For you leaving early: on a contract of one year or more you can terminate with 120 days notice once one third of the term has elapsed. On a contract under a year it is 60 days, and on an open ended lease it is 120 days.

Watch the AL trap

A flat licensed for alojamento local, short term tourist letting, is often offered to foreigners as a long stay at a friendly monthly price. That arrangement is not a residential lease, it will not be registered with Financas, and it will not serve as proof of address for an AIMA residence application or let you claim the rent deduction on your IRS return.

Get it registered

The landlord must register the lease with Financas by the last day of the month after it starts. Since 2025 you can register it yourself once their window has closed, which is worth doing rather than arguing about it. A registered lease is what gives you proof of address, the rent deduction, and a paper trail if the relationship turns.

See how much rent can go up and the renting guide.