There is plenty of accommodation available in Brazil. In most places, you can find a high standard of housing - provided that you are willing to pay much more than you are probably used to in your home country.
Depending on what part of Brazil you are moving to you will be able to find a wide choice of rental properties (sometimes even for a reasonable price). This is especially the case with short-term rentals in coastal areas. During the off-season the prices drop considerably as many Europeans rent their vacation homes during a long period of the year.
The life in Brazil's larger cities is much more expensive. Here, the rental price for accommodation in some “better” areas often exceeds European or US-American standards.
Houses often come with gardens or swimming pools but often lack an attic and a basement. Apartments are normally found in multi-storey buildings (prédios).
Long-term apartments and houses are usually unfurnished. This is also true for domestic appliances. In some cases bulbs, shower heads and toilet seats can be missing. Short-term rental properties on the other hand always come furnished.
A special form of accommodation which is especially favoured by foreigners are Condominios. These are fenced housing estates with security staff and cameras. They are meant to provide a certain feeling of safety but this comes of course with additional costs.
When searching for housing in large cities like São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro keep in mind the large distances and poor transport connections.