Caparica Cozy T2 apartment with pool Charneca da Caparica Lisboa

Unfortunately, nothing. This property is entirely misrepresented on both Booking.com and Airbnb. It is advertised as a private apartment with pool and garden, but in reality, all exterior spaces are shared with a large family rental home located upstairs, and there is no physical separation, no privacy, and no security. Anyone can walk directly in front of the apartment’s floor-to-ceiling glass doors and windows to use the BBQ beside the kitchen, the garden, or the pool, and there’s no way of knowing whether they’re new guests from upstairs or strangers. When the upstairs family is using the outdoor areas, the garden and pool become overcrowded, it feels as though they’re inside the apartment, leaving zero privacy for the guests downstairs. If the BBQ is being used, there is no way to prevent smoke and smells from entering the apartment, even with all doors and windows shut. The apartment remains completely exposed, day and night, with people constantly walking past the glass walls, creating an atmosphere that is invasive, uncomfortable, and totally inappropriate for a rental marketed as private. You’ll feel helpless. The concierge doesn’t acknowledge the problems or offer any solutions, she’ll even ignore you if you try to approach her, especially while she’s welcoming new guests to the house upstairs. The landlord or the entity managing the rental denies the hygiene, safety, and legal issues, and blatantly misrepresents the listing. The alojamento local dismisses all concerns and simply tells you to file a complaint with Booking.com. And Booking.com, despite acknowledging that the situation is unacceptable and that the property violates their own values, takes no meaningful action. Even after asking the landlord to resolve the issues and provide compensation, they accept that nothing has been fixed and still continue to advertise the property, as if nothing happened, their only suggestion is to leave a review.

The apartment appears to be a converted garage or storage area, with no sound insulation, we could hear everything from upstairs, as if the other guests were inside our unit. Only one appliance can be used at a time; otherwise, the fuse trips, and we’re forced to knock on the neighbours’ door upstairs. If no one is home, we have to pay the concierge to come and fix the issue. There were no curtains on the large floor-to-ceiling glass doors, meaning anyone outside using the BBQ, pool, or garden could see directly into the apartment, day or night. And we don't know if they're new guests from upstairs or strangers. The mattresses were filthy, full of deep stains, and we were bitten multiple times. The kitchen cabinets had dead insects, cobwebs and snail shells on the ceilings and the apartment and garden were infested with ants, including through electrical sockets. There was mould in the bathroom. The garden had loose paving, an open inspection chamber, garden furniture broken, and a pile of trash and broken materials. The pool walls were green, and water quality was poor with a quick weekly clean for so many people using the pool at the same time. There was no support from the landlord, the alojamento local, or the concierge, who repeatedly dismissed our concerns. The only response we received, after complaining to Booking, was a mop, a broom, and two loungers, during a 3-week stay. The Booking.com team acknowledged all the issues, but the owner refused to fix the issues or to compensate us, and no resolution was offered. To make things worse, other guests from upstairs tried to enter our apartment, thinking it was their entrance, a clear sign of how poorly the space is managed and communicated. This property should not be listed on Booking.com in its current condition. I’ve filed formal complaints with the Portuguese authorities.

House was great. Area was nice. There is a pool which you can use. We rented the down part of the house.