Apartment in Rua Cecílio de Sousa, Lisboa for 65 m² with 1 bedroom, lisbon

DO NOT RECOMMEND !!! – HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE WITH PLACE TO STAY My experience with the management company (Place to Stay) of my room for my semester abroad in Lisbon was absolutely HORRIBLE. I would NOT RECOMMEND RENTING A ROOM FROM THEM or booking any other room with them. The one picture shows what I expected while booking, while the other photos show the THE MOULDY, UNACCEPTABLE APARTMENT I ACTUALLY GOT. The difference between what I expected and the actual living conditions was shocking. THE ENTIRE KITCHEN WAS COVERED IN MOULD, and the apartment was FREEZING COLD. These were completely unacceptable living conditions. There were multiple older men living in the same accommodation as us students. One of them allegedly FILMED A GIRL WHILE SHE WAS SHOWERING. This made us feel EXTREMELY UNSAFE in our own home. We reported this serious incident to the organisation, and they replied with a ONE-LINE EMAIL SAYING THAT IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. THEY DID NOTHING TO PROTECT US and refused to provide the man's full name so that we could file a police report. We tried to report it anyway, but we needed his name to help with the report. PLACE TO STAY DID NOT PROVIDE THE SUPPORT WE NEEDED. When I first arrived, they had also FORGOTTEN TO CHECK ME IN. I was left standing outside in the rain for 3 HOURS because they had apparently forgotten I was coming. This was an absolutely ridiculous way to treat a paying tenant. And MY FLATMATES AND I NEVER GOT OUR DEPOSITS BACK. I left my room in the same condition as when I moved in, yet I NEVER RECEIVED MY DEPOSIT BACK. Management gave me reasons for withholding the money that I did not consider justified. After speaking with my flatmates, I discovered that they had experienced similar problems. I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS ORGANISATION. Between the mouldy apartment, the freezing temperatures, the lack of support after a serious safety incident, being left outside in the rain for three hours, and the deposit issues, this was a HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE FROM START TO FINISH. I WOULD NEVER BOOK A ROOM WITH THEM AGAIN. DO NOT DO IT!

In general, the flat and the room was ok. However, I'm attaching here a photo of a lock to the room door (bitkey!). Just assess the security of your belongings by yourself. I wouldn't come back. Edit: reply to the owner's comment. Of course I addressed the issue on Airbnb but they just informed they would check the doors. Weren't really helpful.

Avoid "Place to Stay" at all costs: dishonest, neglectful, and unsafe. I lived in their apartment in Rua Passos Manuel 55 during the summer semester of 2026 (from February to June), and renting from this agency was an absolute nightmare from start to finish. The property is neglected, and the management shows complete disregard for basic tenant rights, hygiene, and honesty. Key reasons to stay far away: 1. Deposit scam (120€ deducted without explanation): They deducted 120€ from my security deposit without providing any justification or breakdown of costs, completely ignoring my requests for an explanation. I left the room in spotless, perfect condition, yet they still withheld my money. 2. Zero respect for privacy and security: Agency staff entered our apartment whenever they pleased without prior notice. While carrying out work in the adjacent flat, they repeatedly left our front door wide open for hours, leaving all our personal belongings completely vulnerable to theft. 3. Severe pest issues: There are cockroaches in the building. When I separately raised concerns about suspected bedbugs and painful bites on my body, the agency was defensive and dismissive instead of scheduling professional pest control. 4. Hazardous mold and broken furniture: The room had severe black mold around the window, a moldy mattress, missing bed slats, and a damaged desk upon move-in. Their only "solution" was wiping the wall with bleach, leaving hazardous fumes in the room for days without treating the root cause. 5. Broken washing machine for weeks: The washing machine was broken for weeks. Even after a technician finally visited, it remained out of order. Tenants were forced to pay out of pocket for commercial laundromats while the agency hid behind excuses about external warranty providers. 6. Neglected cleaning services: Contractually guaranteed weekly cleaning of common areas was skipped for weeks at a time and only happened after exhausting rounds of reminder emails. This agency preys on international and exchange students, takes your money, violates your safety, and cuts your deposit for no reason. Do not book with them under any circumstances. Update in response to the owner: Pretending publicly in review sections that you are "open to dialogue" is pure hypocrisy. Throughout my entire stay, I regularly reported every single hazard, maintenance failure, and lack of cleaning via email and your team consistently dismissed, ignored, or delayed addressing them. We also exchanged countless emails after my move-out regarding your completely unjustified deposit deductions, with zero accountability on your end: * The "dirty room" fee: You charged me for a "dirty room" that I left in spotless condition: genuinely cleaner and better maintained than when I received it with mold and broken furniture. * The "kitchen cleaning" fee: You penalized me using a photo of an old, ruined pot. When I moved in, the kitchenware was already in an appalling, toxic state: so damaged and degraded that it was downright hazardous and carcinogenic to cook on. In reality, I was the one consistently maintaining order and I even left a brand-new frying pan for the apartment at my own expense. You already have all my emails, contract details, and evidence in your inbox. Directing me to another email address now is just a public relations tactic to save face. Refund the unlawfully withheld deposit instead of pretending to care about tenant standards.

The first unfairness I suffered was when a staff member aggressively asked me to pay €50 not stipulated in the contract, on the day of my check-in. When I objected, she spoke to me rudely and intimidated me until I made the transfer. I later discovered that she had made the same request to all my roommates, who arrived on different days. Only one of us did not pay this amount because his father intervened. The staff member clearly took advantage of my status as a young student, inexperienced in the language and having just arrived after a travel of many hours. Now, I should have received back my deposit of €250, plus €200 for participating in the "find a friend" campaign, of which I was a winner. Out of the total €450, only €98 was credited to me. The reasons given is that my room was dirty, but I had cleaned it with care, as shown in the videos I sent them. In any case, I cannot be charged for a dirty room if the room, following the agency's instructions, remained open for days before they came to check, while other people were living in the house. In fact, a roommate told me they came on February 3rd (I left the room on the 31st). During those days, electricians were performing maintenance because, among other things, we had no electric lights during my last week there (I had to shower using my phone’s flashlight). The electricians drilled holes in the walls, walked all over the house, and even on the tables. My desk was moved to another room and they climbed on it with work boots to remove light bulbs from the ceiling. How could it stay clean? Furthermore, the agency collected no evidence that it was dirty. The only thing visible in a video sent to me is that the walls are stained. But, as proven to Place to Stay by photos I took in September, they were already stained when I arrived. The agency also failed to respect its duties, for example, by violating my privacy. The same staff member who asked for the uncontracted money entered my roommate's room at 7:30 AM and tried to do the same to mine, while we where sleeping, but fortunately I had locked the door. She didn't even knocked. Bedbug treatment: Another serious issue concerns the pest treatment. My roommate’s body was covered in bedbug bites from around the second week. The agency intervened by checking the house and performing treatment in three rooms. There were no bedbugs in my room, but the treatment was done as a "precaution" and my wooden bed frame was replaced. I did not request any treatment, I did not choose a pest control company, I saw no quotes, and I did not sign anything. At the time of the deposit return, five months later, I was informed that I was charged for the treatment. This is unacceptable. Moreover, I had to spend two nights out at my own expense because the bed frames were dismantled and the air was toxic (and I don't even had a window to let the air out, even it is not legal in Portugal). The agency did not help us in any way or offer an alternative. Furthermore, they accused us of bringing the bedbugs in our suitcases (which is beyond ridiculous). Then, I heard the technician telling that the treatment had already been done a few months prior; therefore, it's a recurring problem in the apartment that evidently had not been resolved, and I cannot finance Place to Stay's investment and maintenance. Equally nonsensical and offensive to my intelligence is that the money was deducted not only from the deposit but also from the "find a friend" prize. The contract allows for deductions from the deposit, but what does the other sum have to do with it? The bathroom had been broken since before my flatmates and I arrived, and it gave off a terrible smell. They never fixed it. The hallway was often full of trash. To every bad review, the agency replies by inviting people to email them. I've been doing that since February—I've been sending emails for 7 months, and the agency pretends not to understand my point, refusing to give me back at least the money that their extremely rude employee demanded I give her upon my arrival.

Hi, Thank you so much for your warm welcome and helpfulness during our stay in Lisbon. The apartment was perfect and ideally located to explore the city. We had a wonderful time — thanks again for everything! Best regards