[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":567},["ShallowReactive",2],{"page-en-\u002Fguides\u002Fhousing\u002Frenting":3,"guides-en":481},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":472,"extension":473,"meta":474,"navigation":475,"order":476,"path":477,"seo":478,"stem":479,"__hash__":480},"content_en\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Fhousing\u002Frenting.md","Renting a home",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":459},"minimark",[9,13,19,24,40,44,55,75,79,86,91,108,116,127,146,150,161,181,185,199,205,209,255,259,275,289,293,317,321,324,334,337],[10,11,12],"p",{},"Renting in Brazil is harder than in many countries: most flats are let for the long term, unfurnished and with a guarantee. Below is how it looks from Rio de Janeiro residents' accounts, plus the rules of the tenancy law. Prices relate to the stated dates and to Rio; elsewhere everything is different.",[10,14,15],{},[16,17,18],"em",{},"Checked on 8 October 2026. Prices and terms depend on the district and the season.",[20,21,23],"h2",{"id":22},"in-short","In short",[25,26,27,31,34,37],"ul",{},[28,29,30],"li",{},"For the first weeks it is easier to live in a short-term let (Airbnb) and look for a long-term home once you are there.",[28,32,33],{},"A long-term contract is usually for 12 or 30 months; the home is more often unfurnished, and on top of the rent come condomínio, IPTU and utilities.",[28,35,36],{},"Landlords ask for a guarantee: a deposit, a guarantor (fiador) or rental insurance; the law caps a cash deposit at three months' rent.",[28,38,39],{},"After signing the contract, put the utility bills in your own name: they also prove your address.",[20,41,43],{"id":42},"short-term-lets","Short-term lets",[10,45,46,47,54],{},"For the first weeks Airbnb, Booking and similar services work. Airbnb requires a foreign card and is unavailable from Russian and Belarusian IP addresses: without a VPN a booking will be blocked for a day. You can register with Russian or Belarusian documents; in 95% of cases no deposit is needed, and electricity and water are usually included. The final price is shown on the penultimate step, where tax and cleaning are added; choose listings rated above 4.5 (",[48,49,53],"a",{"href":50,"rel":51},"https:\u002F\u002Ft.me\u002Frusso_no_brasil\u002F66",[52],"nofollow","post, 05.01.2025",").",[10,56,57,58,63,64,69,70,54],{},"Many people find a long-term flat on Airbnb too: they write to hosts, bargain and ask to sign a contract through a cartório. That is how a family from @brazil_lifehacks rented a flat for six months in 2022 with a two-month deposit, and the cartório contract was good enough to show to the PF (",[48,59,62],{"href":60,"rel":61},"https:\u002F\u002Ft.me\u002Fbrazil_lifehacks\u002F16",[52],"post, 21.03.2022","). The price is higher than usual (by the author's 2023 estimate, about 25–30%), but not three times (",[48,65,68],{"href":66,"rel":67},"https:\u002F\u002Ft.me\u002Fbrazil_lifehacks\u002F109",[52],"post, 04.01.2023","). Government bodies do not accept an Airbnb booking as a contract: you will have to ask the host for an additional document (",[48,71,74],{"href":72,"rel":73},"https:\u002F\u002Ft.me\u002Fsvoibrazil\u002F227",[52],"post, 24.03.2024",[20,76,78],{"id":77},"a-long-term-contract","A long-term contract",[10,80,81,85],{},[82,83,84],"strong",{},"Where to look:"," Quinto Andar (only through realtors), ZAP Imóveis, OLX, Facebook Marketplace. A listing usually states only the rent (aluguel).",[10,87,88],{},[82,89,90],{},"What is added to the rent:",[25,92,93,99,105],{},[28,94,95,98],{},[82,96,97],{},"condomínio",": the fee for the building's infrastructure (security, pool, gym, shared lighting); water is usually included. Sometimes it equals the rent or exceeds it;",[28,100,101,104],{},[82,102,103],{},"IPTU",": the property tax, monthly or once a year;",[28,106,107],{},"electricity and gas by meter, and internet.",[10,109,110,111,54],{},"An example from a Rio listing (July 2024): rent R$ 5,000, condomínio R$ 2,200, IPTU R$ 560 a month, R$ 7,760 in total; plus internet about R$ 100, gas about R$ 100, and electricity with two air conditioners about R$ 500, so about R$ 8,460 a month (",[48,112,115],{"href":113,"rel":114},"https:\u002F\u002Ft.me\u002Fsvoibrazil\u002F452",[52],"post, 10.07.2024",[10,117,118,121,122,54],{},[82,119,120],{},"The term."," At least 12 months, and 30 is often offered: by law a contract for 30 months or more ends at the end of the term without notice (Lei 8.245\u002F1991, art. 46). A tenant may leave earlier by paying a penalty proportional to the contract (art. 4). In practice, leaving in the first year costs you the deposit, and with insurance they ask for another two months' rent (",[48,123,126],{"href":124,"rel":125},"https:\u002F\u002Ft.me\u002Fsvoibrazil\u002F178",[52],"post, 21.12.2023",[10,128,129,132,133,136,137,140,141,54],{},[82,130,131],{},"What they ask for:"," proof of income (a bank statement for three months; in 2023 an English-language statement from a foreign bank was accepted), the residents' documents, a CPF, and a form from the realtor's company. Residents need a resident card. Some agencies check the CPF history and will not show a home if the CPF is new (",[48,134,126],{"href":124,"rel":135},[52],", ",[48,138,74],{"href":72,"rel":139},[52],"). There were also refusals for lack of a local bank account: the @russo_no_brasil author's landlady refused in January 2025 for exactly this reason, even when he offered to pay from friends' accounts (",[48,142,145],{"href":143,"rel":144},"https:\u002F\u002Ft.me\u002Frusso_no_brasil\u002F70",[52],"post, 07.01.2025",[20,147,149],{"id":148},"guarantees-for-the-landlord","Guarantees for the landlord",[10,151,152,153,136,157,160],{},"Three main options (",[48,154,53],{"href":155,"rel":156},"https:\u002F\u002Ft.me\u002Frusso_no_brasil\u002F68",[52],[48,158,126],{"href":124,"rel":159},[52],"):",[25,162,163,169,175],{},[28,164,165,168],{},[82,166,167],{},"A deposit (caução)."," Usually 2–3 rent payments; for foreigners in a furnished home they ask for 6–12. The law caps a cash caução at three months' rent (Lei 8.245\u002F1991, art. 38); it is put into a savings account.",[28,170,171,174],{},[82,172,173],{},"Rental insurance (seguro fiança)."," Paid by the tenant; the authors name different amounts: 10–15% of the rent and about US$ 1,000–1,500 for a year or for the whole term. The money is not refunded.",[28,176,177,180],{},[82,178,179],{},"A guarantor (fiador)."," A Brazilian who answers for you; for immigrants this option is rarely available.",[20,182,184],{"id":183},"furniture-and-furnishing","Furniture and furnishing",[10,186,187,188,193,194,54],{},"A flat is most often let empty: only built-in kitchen cabinets in the kitchen, sanitaryware in the bathroom, and sometimes no cooker. Such offers are 80–85% or more. In January 2026 the @russo_no_brasil author estimated basic furnishing: a washing machine R$ 2,000–5,000, a fridge R$ 2,000–4,000, a gas cooker R$ 800–2,000, a microwave R$ 500–1,000, a table with chairs R$ 1,000–1,500, a sofa R$ 700–3,500, a wardrobe R$ 800–2,000, a chest of drawers R$ 300–700, a bed with a mattress R$ 1,000–5,000; a minimum of about R$ 9,000–9,500. A split air conditioner installed cost a little over R$ 3,000, assembling furniture R$ 500 (",[48,189,192],{"href":190,"rel":191},"https:\u002F\u002Ft.me\u002Frusso_no_brasil\u002F440",[52],"post, 17.01.2026","). A standard double bed in Brazil is 138 cm wide (casal); there are also queen (158) and king (186–193) (",[48,195,198],{"href":196,"rel":197},"https:\u002F\u002Ft.me\u002Frusso_no_brasil\u002F100",[52],"post, 02.02.2025",[10,200,201,202,54],{},"Furnished flats are mostly let by the day through Airbnb and cost 3–5 times more than ordinary ones (",[48,203,126],{"href":124,"rel":204},[52],[20,206,208],{"id":207},"what-to-check-before-signing","What to check before signing",[25,210,211,219,227,233,241,247],{},[28,212,213,214,54],{},"The photos in a listing often do not match reality: dirt, and renovation that \"will be done later\" (",[48,215,218],{"href":216,"rel":217},"https:\u002F\u002Ft.me\u002Frusso_no_brasil\u002F71",[52],"post, 08.01.2025",[28,220,221,222,54],{},"What is nearby: construction (a \"red flag\"), a busy road, night bars. Above the 4th–5th floor there are fewer mosquitoes; splits are quieter than window air conditioners; there should be bus stops nearby (",[48,223,226],{"href":224,"rel":225},"https:\u002F\u002Ft.me\u002Frusso_no_brasil\u002F347",[52],"post, 31.08.2025",[28,228,229,230,54],{},"Near the ocean appliances rust and a flat can get mould (",[48,231,74],{"href":72,"rel":232},[52],[28,234,235,236,54],{},"\"Gato de luz\": illegal connections to the grid in areas near favelas. Ask for the flat's average electricity bills over recent months and question the neighbours (",[48,237,240],{"href":238,"rel":239},"https:\u002F\u002Ft.me\u002Frusso_no_brasil\u002F352",[52],"post, 10.09.2025",[28,242,243,244,54],{},"If the flat is listed for sale, you will have to admit buyers two or three times a week (",[48,245,74],{"href":72,"rel":246},[52],[28,248,249,250,54],{},"Hidden defects. In the author's case the air conditioner did not cool: he paid for the compressor himself because it was unclear when it had failed, but he considered the refrigerant leak from the pipes in the wall the landlord's business and agreed the rework with him: labour R$ 850, materials about R$ 500 (",[48,251,254],{"href":252,"rel":253},"https:\u002F\u002Ft.me\u002Fbrazil_lifehacks\u002F257",[52],"post, 12.10.2023",[20,256,258],{"id":257},"after-signing-bills-and-proof-of-address","After signing: bills and proof of address",[10,260,261,262,265,266,136,271,54],{},"The electricity and gas bills have to be transferred into your name within about 10 days (",[48,263,126],{"href":124,"rel":264},[52],"). In Rio electricity is supplied by Light: go to its office with an RNM or another document and the lease and ask for a \"troca de titularidade\". The first bill in the author's name arrived after about 45 days. Transferring through the WhatsApp bot did not work: it needed a document with a CPF number (",[48,267,270],{"href":268,"rel":269},"https:\u002F\u002Ft.me\u002Frusso_no_brasil\u002F205",[52],"post, 22.03.2025",[48,272,270],{"href":273,"rel":274},"https:\u002F\u002Ft.me\u002Frusso_no_brasil\u002F206",[52],[10,276,277,278,283,284,54],{},"A bill in your name is a comprovante de residência, and it is needed for a licence, filing for residence and citizenship, school and nursery, and registering with a clinic. Fallback options: a bill for mobile service under a postpaid contract (not prepaid) with your address (",[48,279,282],{"href":280,"rel":281},"https:\u002F\u002Ft.me\u002Fbrazil_lifehacks\u002F7",[52],"post, 09.03.2022","), or a declaração de residência, a sample of which the @brazil_lifehacks author published (",[48,285,288],{"href":286,"rel":287},"https:\u002F\u002Ft.me\u002Fbrazil_lifehacks\u002F169",[52],"post, 21.05.2023",[20,290,292],{"id":291},"approximate-prices","Approximate prices",[25,294,295,303,311],{},[28,296,297,298,54],{},"Rio, January 2025, a good condomínio with infrastructure, security and underground parking, a contract of 12 months or more, taxes and fees included: a one-bedroom (bedroom and living room) from US$ 450 to 600, a two-bedroom from US$ 600 to 1,000. In Leblon, Ipanema and Barra prices are higher, in the north zone lower (",[48,299,302],{"href":300,"rel":301},"https:\u002F\u002Ft.me\u002Frusso_no_brasil\u002F76",[52],"post, 10.01.2025",[28,304,305,306,54],{},"The budget of a family of two adults and a child in Barra da Tijuca in April 2026: rent for a roughly 75 m² two-bedroom with condomínio and tax R$ 4,400 out of a total of R$ 11,000–11,800 a month for basic needs (",[48,307,310],{"href":308,"rel":309},"https:\u002F\u002Ft.me\u002Frusso_no_brasil\u002F507",[52],"post, 16.04.2026",[28,312,313,314,54],{},"For comparison, in January 2023 the author thought that \"a good flat in Rio's most elite district should not cost more than R$ 6,000–7,000\" (",[48,315,68],{"href":66,"rel":316},[52],[20,318,320],{"id":319},"sources","Sources",[10,322,323],{},"Official:",[25,325,326],{},[28,327,328,333],{},[48,329,332],{"href":330,"rel":331},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.planalto.gov.br\u002Fccivil_03\u002Fleis\u002Fl8245.htm",[52],"Lei 8.245\u002F1991 (Lei do Inquilinato)",": arts. 4, 38, 46",[10,335,336],{},"Personal experience (channels @russo_no_brasil, @svoibrazil and @brazil_lifehacks, in Russian):",[25,338,339,345,351,357,363,369,375,381,387,393,399,405,411,417,423,429,435,441,447,453],{},[28,340,341],{},[48,342,344],{"href":50,"rel":343},[52],"Short-term rental, 05.01.2025",[28,346,347],{},[48,348,350],{"href":155,"rel":349},[52],"Long-term rental, 05.01.2025",[28,352,353],{},[48,354,356],{"href":143,"rel":355},[52],"A second failed rental attempt, 07.01.2025",[28,358,359],{},[48,360,362],{"href":216,"rel":361},[52],"Further home searching, 08.01.2025",[28,364,365],{},[48,366,368],{"href":300,"rel":367},[52],"The cost of long-term housing, 10.01.2025",[28,370,371],{},[48,372,374],{"href":196,"rel":373},[52],"Beds and mattresses, 02.02.2025",[28,376,377],{},[48,378,380],{"href":268,"rel":379},[52],"Transferring bills into your name, 22.03.2025",[28,382,383],{},[48,384,386],{"href":273,"rel":385},[52],"An alternative way, 22.03.2025",[28,388,389],{},[48,390,392],{"href":224,"rel":391},[52],"Housing in Brazil, 31.08.2025",[28,394,395],{},[48,396,398],{"href":238,"rel":397},[52],"Gato de luz, 10.09.2025",[28,400,401],{},[48,402,404],{"href":190,"rel":403},[52],"Furnishing a flat, 17.01.2026",[28,406,407],{},[48,408,410],{"href":308,"rel":409},[52],"Basic living costs, 16.04.2026",[28,412,413],{},[48,414,416],{"href":124,"rel":415},[52],"Who can rent, 21.12.2023",[28,418,419],{},[48,420,422],{"href":72,"rel":421},[52],"How to rent long-term, 24.03.2024",[28,424,425],{},[48,426,428],{"href":113,"rel":427},[52],"How to read rental listings, 10.07.2024",[28,430,431],{},[48,432,434],{"href":60,"rel":433},[52],"How to rent for a few months, 21.03.2022",[28,436,437],{},[48,438,440],{"href":280,"rel":439},[52],"Proof of residence, 09.03.2022",[28,442,443],{},[48,444,446],{"href":66,"rel":445},[52],"Housing in Rio, 04.01.2023",[28,448,449],{},[48,450,452],{"href":286,"rel":451},[52],"A residence declaration, 21.05.2023",[28,454,455],{},[48,456,458],{"href":252,"rel":457},[52],"A broken air conditioner, 12.10.2023",{"title":460,"searchDepth":461,"depth":461,"links":462},"",2,[463,464,465,466,467,468,469,470,471],{"id":22,"depth":461,"text":23},{"id":42,"depth":461,"text":43},{"id":77,"depth":461,"text":78},{"id":148,"depth":461,"text":149},{"id":183,"depth":461,"text":184},{"id":207,"depth":461,"text":208},{"id":257,"depth":461,"text":258},{"id":291,"depth":461,"text":292},{"id":319,"depth":461,"text":320},"How a foreigner rents a flat in Brazil: short-term lets, a long-term contract, deposit, fiador and insurance, payments, furnishing and checks before moving in.","md",{},true,1,"\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Fhousing\u002Frenting",{"title":5,"description":472},"en\u002Fguides\u002Fhousing\u002Frenting","IOEOz_UC4Dc1OATSHC6XyuvXOQY_X5GPhH5egDEYhP0",[482,486,490,495,500,505,509,513,517,522,526,530,534,535,539,543,547,551,555,559,563],{"path":483,"title":484,"description":485,"order":476},"\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Fcar\u002Fbuy-car","Buying a car","How a foreigner buys a used car in Pernambuco: from a dealer or a private seller, checks, DETRAN transfer, IPVA, insurance and driving licence.",{"path":487,"title":488,"description":489,"order":461},"\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Fcar\u002Fcnh","Exchanging a licence for a Brazilian CNH","How to exchange a foreign driving licence for a Brazilian CNH in Rio de Janeiro: documents, translation, medical and psychological checks, prices and timing; category A.",{"path":491,"title":492,"description":493,"order":494},"\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Fcar\u002Fowning","Running a car: IPVA, fines, tolls","What a year of owning a car in Rio costs, IPVA rates, how to pay a fine, toll tags, fuel, renting and limits on bringing a car in.",3,{"path":496,"title":497,"description":498,"order":499},"\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Fdocuments\u002Fcin-rg","CIN (RG) and a child's documents","The Brazilian ID card CIN: how to get it for a child, how long it is valid, trips around South America and leaving the country with a child.",5,{"path":501,"title":502,"description":503,"order":504},"\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Fdocuments\u002Fcitizenship","Citizenship — naturalisation","How a foreigner becomes a Brazilian citizen: residence period, proof of Portuguese, documents, real timelines and what to do after the portaria.",4,{"path":506,"title":507,"description":508,"order":476},"\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Fdocuments\u002Fcpf","CPF — the tax number","How a foreigner gets a CPF: the free route, documents, steps, and the SIM card and bank pitfalls.",{"path":510,"title":511,"description":512,"order":494},"\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Fdocuments\u002Fresidence","Residence — grounds and documents","The grounds for a residence permit in Brazil: a child, marriage or stable union, digital nomad, property; the document set and what to check in advance.",{"path":514,"title":515,"description":516,"order":461},"\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Fdocuments\u002Frnm","RNM \u002F CRNM — registration with the Federal Police","How to get the CRNM migration card: filing deadlines, fees, booking with the Polícia Federal, documents and real-world timing.",{"path":518,"title":519,"description":520,"order":521},"\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Fdocuments\u002Ftranslations","Translations and apostille","How to prepare foreign documents for Brazilian offices: apostille, sworn translation, spelling of names and a child's birth certificate.",6,{"path":523,"title":524,"description":525,"order":461},"\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Fhealth\u002Fpregnancy-birth","Pregnancy and childbirth","How to register for pregnancy care, where to give birth under SUS or privately, what it costs, how to get the birth certificate, doulas and protection from scammers.",{"path":527,"title":528,"description":529,"order":476},"\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Fhealth\u002Fsus-and-private","SUS, the UBS clinic and private insurance","How healthcare works in Brazil for a foreigner: free SUS and the UBS clinic, vaccinations and the certificate, a private health plan and real prices.",{"path":531,"title":532,"description":533,"order":461},"\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Fhousing\u002Fbuying","Buying a home","How buying a flat in Brazil works: an off-plan contract, ITBI and cartório fees, the realtor's commission, a consórcio instead of a mortgage and price benchmarks.",{"path":477,"title":5,"description":472,"order":476},{"path":536,"title":537,"description":538,"order":461},"\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Flife\u002Feveryday","Daily life: sockets, transport, shops","Everyday details you learn after arriving: voltage and sockets, public transport and intercity buses in Rio, lift buttons, returning goods and complaints to the city.",{"path":540,"title":541,"description":542,"order":476},"\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Flife\u002Fmobile-internet","Mobile service, internet and apps","SIM card and eSIM, home internet, what to do if your CPF is rejected, how to install Brazilian apps and why banking apps dislike a VPN.",{"path":544,"title":545,"description":546,"order":494},"\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Flife\u002Fsafety","Safety: phone, cards, scams","How to protect money and your phone in Brazil: a street phone, limits in bank apps, phone insurance, checking the amount on the terminal and scammers' schemes.",{"path":548,"title":549,"description":550,"order":476},"\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Fmoney\u002Fbank-account","Bank account, Pix and deposit protection","How a foreigner opens an account in Brazil, what Pix is, the banks and neobanks, the Serasa Score, FGC deposit insurance and what to do when a bank refuses.",{"path":552,"title":553,"description":554,"order":461},"\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Fmoney\u002Ftransfers","Sending money to Brazil","How to bring money in from abroad: SWIFT, cash dollars, crypto exchange; real fees, timing and why large sums get frozen.",{"path":556,"title":557,"description":558,"order":476},"\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Fprologue\u002Farrival","Entry, extending your visit and the first weeks","The tourist period and extending it at the Polícia Federal, how to fly to Brazil, what an airport transfer costs and where to start after arriving.",{"path":560,"title":561,"description":562,"order":461},"\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Fwork\u002Fdomestic-staff","Housekeeper, diarista and nanny","When you need an employment contract with a home helper, what it costs the employer, how a diarista differs from a permanent housekeeper and how to find a nanny.",{"path":564,"title":565,"description":566,"order":476},"\u002Fen\u002Fguides\u002Fwork\u002Fincome-tax","The income tax return (IRPF)","When a foreigner becomes a Brazilian tax resident, who must file an income return, how to prepare the first one and what a late filing costs.",1792334099392]