PJC61

Hello everyone, first time poster here but long time reader.

I am taking early retirement and will be spending the next 6 or 7 years in the Algarve however all my attempts at popping over to view apartments have been scuppered by covid.
I have found an apartment on line that ticks all the boxes but will rent initially for 3 months in case it is not right for us but I cannot find anything about the company that has it advertised.
Has anyone used or can vouch for Long Term Rent.com
Cheers

ShazD

Hi, have never come across this company and have searched for rentals for many, many hours. This is not to say they are not legitimate, however, they do seem very cheap compared to what I've seen.

Loafing Along

The address on their web is in the middle of a holiday home type-complex Quinta de Morgado on the edge of Tavira , may well be the administrative office of the complex offering properties.

sportpix

I used a company in Lagos and was less than happy with their so-called service. They advertised the unit I rented as coming with hi-speed wifi and cable tv but then charged extra for the first and the second was not available. There were a couple of minor issues with the unit that needed repair but which took weeks to fix. Communication with the company was like dealing with a robot - they just wanted my rental cash and to do as little as possible. And then I only had their word on the cost of the utilities - I didn’t get to check the meters with them. Be careful when you sign on the dotted line and make sure you know what is and is not included in the rental payment. Good luck 😉

PJC61

Thanks for the replies, so far there have been no horror stories so I think an initial 3 month rental will do no harm.
Cheers

PJC61

That's correct, this was the address where we were to meet their rep between xmas and new year, we had 5 apartments to view but the latest travel restrictions put paid to that.

barlaventoexpert

I wouldn't touch these guys with a barge-pole.

Firstly, the website does not conform with neither EU not local Portuguese laws in terms of data retention nor legal address & company details.

For example, there is no NIF number displayed.

A whois search shows that the details of the owners are not displayed.

The only information displayed shows that the the domain is registered with a registrar in the UK.

This following site for a development in Thailand

https://tpsenior.com/boende/athena-jomtien-resort/

shows the same Portuguese Mobile number as well as a Swedish phone number.

I would be very careful dealing with this outfit.

PJC61

I spoke too soon lol. Cheers for that info barlaventoexpert, looks like a re think then

liveaboard

On the ground checks;
1; make sure the agent has the power / right to lease the property to you. If the owner is not present, ask to see the contract that the agent has with the owner.
Ask at the camara whether that person[alleged owner] owns that address.
This could be difficult at the moment...
Asking the neighbors can sometimes shed light.

2: Ask to see the ID documents of whoever is asking for your money. This seems so normal, yet NO ONE does it. I think it's something primal.
I once rented a place to a lawyer. she handed over the rent and deposit in cash [that used to happen].
After we were all done, contract signed and about to leave, I realized I'd seen their IDs but they'd never seen mine, so I put my passport on the table.
Her face was priceless; utter shock, she'd completely neglected to ask. A lawyer!
And of maybe 40 or 50 tenants I've had over 30 years, NO ONE has EVER asked to see my ID. I've shown it to plenty, but they always forget to ask.

There is no total protection against fraud, but those simple things will clear out most of it.

I have also lost tenants because they didn't believe me; I hit all the NO boxes, living in a different country than the rental property, speaking a language not native to either country, and I rent direct through my own website too. Other times, I rejected tenants because I didn't believe them. Maybe they were perfectly OK, I'll never know.

A landlord / tenant relationship is a relationship, and your home will feel like home if that relationship feels ok. So it's quite reasonable to ask to meet the owner, or at least the caretaker / maintenance person.

[my rental properties are not in Portugal]