A tent camp in central Lisbon has brought Portugal’s rental reform into focus as lawmakers consider a bill the government says would encourage owners to put more homes up for lease.
About 100 tents remained in Rossio Square on Oct. 19, Lusa reported, two days after demonstrators began camping there. Camp organizer João Veloso told EFE he wants rent limits, more public housing and withdrawal of the rental bill.
Median rent on new leases rose in the second quarter of 2026. Portugal’s National Statistics Institute (INE) counted 35,407 new leases nationwide and reported a median monthly rent of €10.17 per square meter, up 10.2% from a year earlier. In Lisbon municipality, the median reached €17.79 per square meter, a 5.1% increase. Those figures measure new contracts, not rents paid by all tenants.
Parliament voted on Sept. 30 to advance the government’s rental bill in principle and referred it to committee. It has not become law.
The government says easing controls on new rental contracts would encourage owners to offer more homes for lease. It also announced an emergency housing fund as part of its wider housing reform.
Rental rules are one part of a broader housing squeeze. In its 2026 assessment of Portugal, the European Commission identified pressure linked to tourism and short-term rentals, along with vacant homes and constraints on building in areas with high demand. It said public social and affordable housing made up less than 2% of the country’s housing stock.
Earlier camps in Madrid and Porto influenced the Lisbon protesters, EFE reported. Portuguese public broadcaster RTP reported that police had asked for the tents to be removed.
Camp participants approved plans for a rally outside parliament on Oct. 27, Observador reported. Parliament has scheduled debate on the 2027 budget for that day.
