How it works
SherlockHomes helps you choose the right home for you and avoid the expensive mistakes: damp, noise, a cold home or a listing that does not match reality. It is free, has no ads, and is on the side of people looking for a home, not the sellers.
1. Before the viewing
- Take the checklist. The viewing checklist tells you what to look at: damp, noise, light, windows, water, the building and the listing. As a PDF to print, or on your phone.
- Look up the address. See what other visitors found at that home. Reviews and public data for the area (transport, schools, shops, health and parks) work anywhere in the country. In Lisbon you also see noise, flooding, short-term rentals and median rent.
- Read the guides on damp, noise, scams, contracts and more.
2. During the viewing, on your phone
- Tap “Do a review” and type the address. Any town in Portugal works.
- Give the stars (1 to 5). It is the only required part.
- Everything else is optional: write what you saw, open the checklist subjects (damp, windows, water, noise…) and tap Fine, Problem or Didn’t see, with a note if you like, and add photos.
You don’t need an account and you don’t need to finish on the spot: everything saves automatically.
Photos (optional): photograph the home, not the people. No faces, documents, screens or number plates. Upload them straight from your camera or gallery, not via WhatsApp, which removes the date and location.
3. Afterwards: compare and choose
Every visit goes into your visit diary. Pick 2 to 4 homes and compare them side by side: stars, answers and your notes. You can also share the comparison with whoever will live with you.
The diary is kept on this phone or computer. If you sign in with your email (we send a code, no password), it is kept in your account and you see it on any device.
4. Publish your review and help others
When you publish, you help the next person avoid the same mistakes, just as other people’s reviews help you.
- Read the 5 short rules and confirm you accept them.
- If you haven’t signed in, confirm your email with the 6-digit code. Your email is never shown.
- Automatic check: artificial intelligence reads the text and photos. If all is fine, your review goes online straight away. If it finds names, contact details, insults or accusations, a person checks it first, usually within a day.
Each review shows the stars and, when there are any, the answers, photos and the Detailed (many answers and photos) and Verified visit (photos taken at the address on the visit date) badges.
5. Ask the community
Questions about a contract, the deposit, a landlord or an area? Ask in the community and get answers from people who have been through the same. Reading needs no account; to ask or answer, you sign in with your email and choose the name others see. We email you when someone answers. Answers are other people’s opinions, not legal advice.
Just rented? Make a move-in report
On the day you get the keys, record the condition of the home room by room, with photos, and print it to sign with the landlord. It’s the best way to get your deposit back. Create a move-in report.
If you think a review is wrong
Use “Report or reply to this review”. We look into it, contact the author and send you our decision with the reasons. Owners and agencies can publish a factual reply beside the review.
Our independence
SherlockHomes is free and has no ads. We accept no payments from owners, landlords, agencies or sellers. It runs on donations from the people who use it.