A Lisbon housing rally drew thousands to Rossio Square after police cleared an encampment, as the government’s proposed rental overhaul remained under detailed parliamentary review.
Euronews reported the Oct. 20 rally, which O Cidadão witnessed. O Cidadão also reported that protesters voted at an evening meeting to bring tents back to the square on Oct. 21. Some demonstrators held keys and displayed a sign reading “a house cannot be a privilege,” Euronews reported.
Lisboa Para Pessoas reported that protesters want affordable rent limits, more public housing and safeguards against eviction when no alternative housing is available.
The government’s plan would remove the limit on rents set when one lease ends and a new one begins. Rules for existing leases would stay in place, while eviction proceedings would be simplified. The government says easing restrictions could encourage owners to offer more homes for rent.
On Sept. 30, lawmakers allowed the proposal to advance to committee for closer review. It has not become law. The government’s bill cites its estimate, based on the 2021 census, that about 375,000 homes were vacant without plans to sell or rent them.
Housing costs also feature in official price data, though the figures measure purchases rather than rents. Portugal’s home purchase prices rose 16.5% in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, the largest increase among EU countries with available data. The European Union-wide increase was 4.7%, according to Eurostat.
Eurostat plans its next update to its house-price analysis for January 2027.
