First: why doesn't your Airbnb have AC?
It's usually not host laziness. Much of central Lisbon — Alfama, Mouraria, Bairro Alto, Baixa, Chiado, Graça — is protected historic building stock where installing exterior split units on the façade is restricted or outright forbidden, with real fines. Those gorgeous thick-walled buildings also store the day's heat and release it at night, which is why the bedroom is 29°C at midnight while the street has cooled down. Knowing this helps when you message your host: they usually can't install fixed AC, but a portable unit needs no installation at all.
Surviving tonight (free, works immediately)
- Shutters and blinds closed before 9am — not at noon when it's already hot. Old stone buildings trap heat for hours; blocking morning sun saves 2–3°C by evening.
- Keep windows shut during the day, open everything after ~10pm when the Atlantic breeze turns. Cross-ventilate if you have windows on two sides.
- Fan + a bowl of ice (or frozen water bottles) in front of it. Crude, effective, gets you through one bad night.
- Sleep low and cool: heat rises — if the flat has a lower or north-facing room, sleep there during the alert. Damp sheet trick works too.
More detail in our heatwave preparation guide — those nine steps drop indoor temperature 3–5°C at almost no cost.
Second: message your host (copy-paste this)
If the heat will last more than a night or two, tell your host — politely and with a solution attached. This message works:
Hosts almost always say yes: nothing is drilled or mounted, and a comfortable guest is a good review. Some hosts take over and pay for it themselves — also fine, we invoice them with a Portuguese NIF.
Third: the actual fix — a portable AC at your door today
This is what we do all summer: same-day delivery of a 9000 BTU portable AC across Lisbon and Greater Lisbon (subject to availability — during heat alerts, units go fast). We set it up for free in ~5 minutes, you get the remote, and at checkout we collect it. From €40/day or €210/week (= €30/day) — delivery and pickup included in Lisbon city from 2 days (1-day rentals: 25 euro travel fee) — with a refundable €100 deposit. Everything — booking, questions, timing — happens in English on WhatsApp: +351 935 328 206.
Full details for guests on our Airbnb stays page, or check pricing.
Honest note
If your stay ends tomorrow, don't rent — use the free tricks above and ask your host for a fan. Renting makes sense from about two nights of real heat onwards, or any time you simply refuse to sweat through a holiday you paid good money for.
Quick answers
Can you really deliver today?
Usually yes, in Lisbon and Greater Lisbon, when confirmed in time — during extreme heatwave peaks it can slip to the next day. WhatsApp us and we'll tell you straight away.
Do I need my host's permission?
Strictly speaking you're not installing anything — but a quick message keeps everyone happy, and hosts essentially always agree. Use the template above.
What does it cost for a typical stay?
A weekend of heat ≈ €80–120. A full week €210. Longer stays get cheaper per day (two weeks €350, a month €450). Refundable €100 deposit on top.
What if I check out before the rental ends?
You only pay the days you used — we pick up early and refund the difference and the deposit.
Does it work in old buildings with weird windows?
Yes — the included window kit fits Lisbon's common window types, and we fit it at delivery. Old buildings are, honestly, most of our deliveries.