Over three months, the growth was consistent “with no signs of slowing down.” According to the same source, “February accounted for 35.9% of quarterly demand and recorded annual growth of +299.7%, while March represented 37.4% of the total (+282.5%). April closed the period with 26.7% of quarterly demand and growth of +186.3%.”

Demand in other markets

Although Lisbon and Porto continue to account for most of the national demand, Imovirtual, in a press release, notes that “rental growth is also accelerating outside traditional markets.”

Lisbon continues to be the most sought-after district, “representing 17.0% of national demand in 2026, followed by Porto with 9.2%.” However, they are losing relative share compared to 2025, and Braga appears “as the only district in the top 10 to gain weight in the market, going from 2.6% to 2.8% of national demand and registering an annual growth of +280.8%.”

When it comes to municipalities, as expected, the greatest demand is concentrated in the Lisbon municipalities, which lead with 7.81% of national demand, followed by Porto (4.04%) and Sintra (1.80%). However, in the Imovirtual report, Cascais appears as the main surprise among the municipalities, “increasing its demand share from 1.03% to 1.40% and registering a year-on-year growth of +381.7% in the number of searches.”

Although they are not among the top performers, Matosinhos and Coimbra "show growth in national demand." Imovirtual reveals that "Matosinhos went from 0.69% to 0.75%, while Coimbra rose from 1.14% to 1.18%. Porto, in turn, maintains practically the same share of demand, going from 4.02% to 4.04%, growing at the same pace as the market."

Quoted in the press release, Sylvia Bozzo, Marketing Manager at Imovirtual, said, "The data shows that the rental market remains under strong pressure and is increasingly competitive. Lisbon and Porto continue to carry significant weight in demand, but we also see strong growth in municipalities close to these large centres, indicating that many tenants are expanding their search radius to find more suitable solutions. In a context of high rents and limited supply, the decision to rent is increasingly conditioned by the balance between price, location and type of property."

Smaller municipalities

Demand has grown outside urban centres, with data pointing to “signs of growth in municipalities with less weight in national demand, such as Benavente, Cinfães, Sobral de Monte Agraço, Lourinhã, Pombal, Vila Nova de Famalicão, Montijo and Évora.” The increase in demand can be explained by “the growing interest in alternative locations in the rental market.”