September marks the start of the new academic year, bringing new challenges for thousands of Portuguese students. For those entering higher education, one of the toughest begins straight away: finding somewhere to live.
According to data from the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES), 49,991 students were placed in the first phase of the National Access Competition for Higher Education, 6,092 more than in the previous year or an increase of 13.9%.
Within this group, thousands are forced to leave their parents' home to continue their studies at a university in another city.
The figures appear to confirm this trend: according to Idealista, the property sales and lettings portal, demand for rooms rose by 27% in the second quarter of 2026.
According to the platform, Beja was the market with the sharpest surge in demand, recording "an increase of 160% year on year".
