ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation is Portugal is done soley utilizing hirings.  Hirings range  between  the  areas  of  Oeiras and Cascais within a maximum distance from the HQ of about 15 miles.  The Lisbon/Cascais coastline is a fairly built up area where the majority of the population reside in apartments, which are generally of a much higher quality than apartments in the UK.  Open spaces, parks and recreational spaces are scarce but, where they do exist, are generally very well landscaped and maintained.

Despite the much higher availability of apartments in this region, we also endeavour to accommodate people in houses wherever possible, but personnel joining JC Lisbon have to be aware that provision of a house, rather than an apartment cannot be guaranteed.  Houses tend to be quite spacious and have only limited gardens; small gardens and patio areas are more common.  The interiors of all properties tend to be bigger and there are more bathrooms than the average house in the UK.  Apartments are of a good modern finish with built in kitchens (including white goods), albeit tumble dryers are not common; and bedrooms normally have built in wardrobes.

Hiring’s are also taken on in Closed Condominiums (i.e. small housing estates of apartments or townhouses sharing recreational spaces, pools and tennis courts), which generally enhance the facilities available to occupants. However, condominiums do impose significant restrictions on the keeping of pets.  The UKJSU’s obligation is to house people and, while we will do our best to also accommodate pets where requested, we cannot guarantee we will be able to do so.  Anyone wishing to bring pets to Portugal is advised to research this carefully and consult the UKJSU and others for advice.  In general terms, while the UKJSU will not ordinarily refuse permission to bring pets, nonetheless personnel do so entirely at their own risk.

Property searches for new joiners will be initiated by the UKJSU about two months before arrival in the country and the final decision on allocation rests with DE.  The UKJSU and Defence Estates (Europe) adhere to JSP 464 (Tri-Service Accommodation Regulations) wherever possible, however personnel posted to any overseas posting need to understand that those regulations cannot be adhered to literally to the letter when reliant on local hiring’s.  Furthermore, personnel should be aware that living in Portugal is not the same as living in the UK.  The British Community is spread over a large area and most properties are subjected to some adverse environmental factors, including construction and development disturbance and barking dogs (typically widespread characteristics of Portuguese life!), however, these factors are reflected in the 4-tier grading process conducted for each property.  European-wide MOD housing policy is such that we do not offer a choice of accommodation on joining.  Rest assured though, we work extremely closely with Defence Estates (Europe) to ensure that all personnel are allocated a property to which they are entitled.