FAQ
- 1. What is HouzeStudent?
- HouzeStudent is a brand of the company HOUZE that manages Residences for University Students in Lisbon, Costa da Caparica and Cascais.
- HouzeStudent has been in the market for many years and has a vast experience – over 400 housed Students with 50 different nationalities.
- HouzeStudent’s main goal is to have satisfied Residents and provide them with the best housing experience possible.
2. Why HouzeStudent?
Quality and Comfort
- Recent and renovated apartments, with new or semi-new furniture and equipment
- Spacious and fully equipped apartments
- Some rooms have a private balcony/terrace, and some are suites with private bathrooms
- Several bathrooms per house, for better comfort
- Weekly cleaning of the common areas
- Expenses related to electricity, gas, water, TV and internet are included
- Extra equipment and services available to improve the housing experience
- Always available support and maintenance team
Location
- Residences close to the main universities’ campus
- Residences located in safe and central areas, close to public transportation
Easiness
- The process is quick and easy
- The process does not entail any additional charges
3. How can I reserve a room in a Houze Residence?
- Contact us, sending an e-mail to [email protected] (indicating where you study, what you are looking for, and for what period you need accommodation).
- After having chosen a room, the reservation is made by making a payment of a reservation fee and sending the proof of payment by e-mail.
- The reservation fee is composed by one monthly payment (that corresponds to the last month of stay) and a 500€ security deposit.
- When Houze receives the proof of payment, the room is reserved until the moment of the check-in.
4. For how long can I stay in a room in a Houze Residence?
- You can stay in our rooms for one semester or for the whole academic year.
- During Summer, Houze Residences may be occupied for short-term stay, upon availability.
5. What happens if there are two reservations for the same room?
- If two students reserve the same room, the reservation will be for the one who sent the proof of payment first.
- In this case, the student who could not reserve the initially selected room may choose another one. If they don’t want to reserve any other room, the reservation fee will be returned.
6. What happens if the room I have reserved is occupied before my arrival?
- This never occurs. Houze Residences are exclusively managed by us, eliminating any possibility of overbooking.
7. What is HouzeStudent's cancellation policy?
The cancellation policy varies depending on the notice date in relation to the start date of the contract and the chosen rate:
- Standard Rate:
- In case of cancellation with a notice of over 60 days, 100% of the reservation fee is returned.
- In case of cancellation with a notice of 30 to 60 days, 50% of the reservation fee is returned.
- In case of cancellation with a notice of less than 30 days, the reservation fee is not returned.
- Flexible Rate:
- In case of cancellation with a notice of over 45 days, 100% of the reservation fee is returned.
- In case of cancellation with a notice of 15 to 45 days, 50% of the reservation fee is returned.
- In case of cancellation with a notice of less than 15 days, the reservation fee is not returned.
8. When and how are the payments made?
- At the moment of the check-in, the first monthly payment (referring to the first month of the contract) is made.
- The remaining monthly payments are made in cash, deposit or bank transfer, and a proof of payment is sent via e-mail, until the first working day of each month.
9. What is included in the monthly payment?
- The monthly payment includes housing and other provided services, such as:
- Water, electricity and gas (up to the limit of 45€ / person / month)
- TV + WiFi Internet
- Weekly cleaning of the common areas
- Maintenance and repairs
- Liability insurance
10. What is the security deposit for and when is it returned?
- Houze reserves the right to keep the deposit or part of it whenever:
- The monthly payment is not made, either entirely or partly;
- There is any outstanding payment of penalties that have been enforced due to violations of the Rules of Conduct or to late payments;
- During or at the end of the stay, there are any damages or the limit for expenses related to electricity, gas and water is exceeded.
- Should none of this occur, the restitution of the deposit occurs after the check-out, within 30 days of the reception of the email indicating the bank details of the account to which the deposit should be returned, through bank transfer.
11. Can I receive visitors in my Residence?
- Yes, but any overnight visits must be previously communicated to and authorised by Houze. Usually, except for any sort of constraint, these visits are approved without costs, as long as it is a sporadic stay of only one person and for no more than 2 nights. For more than one visitor and/or longer and/or reocurring stays, the stay shall be charged in full.
- Guests, namely occasional visits to the Residence (with no overnight stay), are allowed, as long as confined to your room. Whenever you want to entertain a visit that requires the use of the common areas (ex.: a dinner guest), it must be communicated to and authorised by the other occupants of the Residence.
12. What are the existent rules of conduct?
- Houze Residences are shared spaces, where every resident wants to study, but also to enjoy their stay at the fullest and have the best possible experience.
- For this to be viable, respect is key: you must treat with respect all members of the Houze team, the other occupants of the Residence and the building neighbours, namely during the working and resting periods, avoiding making noise and observing silence in all areas from 22:00.
