More than half (52,5%) of the apartments in Foz do Iguaçu are rented. Data from the 2022 Census, recently released by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), show that 6.439 of the 12.275 apartments registered in the city fall into this category.
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The rental rate in Foz do Iguaçu is considered high and is above the national average (36,8%). Of the 27 capitals, only two have higher rates than Foz: Boa Vista (RR), with 72,3%, and Rio Branco (AC), with 68,8%. Among the 116 Brazilian cities with more than 250 thousand inhabitants, Foz appears in tenth place. Cascavel is in 20th, with 46,4%.
In the state context, Foz leads the index among the ten most populous cities in Paraná, followed by Guarapuava (49,2%), Cascavel (46,4%) and Maringá (45,1%). Interestingly, 109 municipalities in the state do not have apartments registered in the IBGE survey.
The panorama of apartments in Foz also reveals that 5.322 (43,4%) are owned (of which 29,7% are fully paid off and 13,7% are in the financing phase); 447 (3,6%) are leased; and another 66 (1,2%) are classified under other conditions.
The explanations
The high rental rate in Foz do Iguaçu is related to a combination of economic, geographic and cultural factors, as explained by Daiane Magali Schek, president of the Foz do Iguaçu Real Estate Center (Nimob), director of Civil Construction and Real Estate Sector at ACIFI, as well as director of Rental and Property Management at Secovi-PR.
Daiane cites tourism and the seasonal flow of residents as some of these factors. “Foz do Iguaçu attracts tourists and temporary workers, mainly those linked to the tourism sector. This public, for the most part, looks for residential properties to rent, rather than purchase properties. In addition, there is the issue of the border, which generates a constant flow of students, professionals and businesspeople who prefer to rent properties due to the mobility inherent to this lifestyle”, she points out.
Although financial conditions are one of the main factors that lead to the choice of renting, there are other reasons that justify this preference, according to Daiane. “One of them is that renting provides greater flexibility to change residence, which is ideal for those who want to be closer to work, study in other cities or try out new neighborhoods before purchasing a property.”
In addition, there are other profiles that opt for renting, such as younger people seeking independence and newlywed couples who prefer smaller, simpler places to maintain. “In a city like Foz, which attracts professionals from various parts of Brazil and abroad, renting offers the possibility of temporary housing while new projects are carried out,” he adds.
Houses versus apartments
When we analyze the types of housing in Foz do Iguaçu, we notice that the percentage of rented properties drops to 27,4%. On the other hand, the majority of residences are owned, representing 64,6% of the properties. In this group, a portion of 13,6% is still paying off the mortgage. In addition, 5,7% of the homes are leased, while 2,3% fall into other categories.
In Paraná, Maringá leads the index of rented housing, with 35,2% of properties under rental arrangements. The city is followed by Cafelândia (34,9%), Toledo (31,6%), Marechal Cândido Rondon (31,6%) and Pato Branco (31,1%). At the other end of the scale, three municipalities have rates below 5%: Antônio Olinto (4,5%), Guaraqueçaba (4,6%) and Doutor Ulysses (4,9%).
Regarding the difference between the percentage of rented houses and apartments, Daiane Magali Schek attributes the phenomenon to a national trend. “In Foz do Iguaçu, more than 60% of homes are owned, with many owners opting for permanent residence, especially in traditional neighborhoods and gated communities. Larger families, in turn, generally prefer houses, which reduces the supply of this type of property on the market. On the other hand, apartments better meet the demands of mobility and practicality, and are often available in condominiums with complete infrastructure – such as security and leisure areas –, which eliminates additional concerns for tenants. On the other hand, houses, for the most part, end up being occupied by the owners themselves”, she explains.
Housing infrastructure conditions
The study also shows that most homes in Foz (43,2%) have between six and nine rooms. Other important data include:
- Currently, 12% of households in Brazil do not have a washing machine among their household appliances. In some regions, such as ten specific states in the country, this percentage exceeds 50%. These states include Maranhão, Piauí, Bahia, Pará, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Ceará, Sergipe and Rio Grande do Norte.
- 81 homes in the city of Foz do Iguaçu, representing 0,1%, do not yet have a bathroom. On the other hand, a significant number of 10.372 homes, or 10,3%, already have three or more bathrooms. This proportion places Foz in eighth place among the cities of Paraná in terms of the number of bathrooms per home.
