Evictions increase after changes in legislation

The number of evictions in Portugal continues to rise, reaching a 14% increase in the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period last year. According to official data from the Directorate-General for Justice Administration (DGAJ), between January and May, 659 eviction orders were issued, including cases initiated in previous years and now completed. This significant increase raises new concerns about the worsening housing situation in the country, which has been particularly critical in large urban areas.

New legislation contributes to acceleration of evictions

One of the main reasons cited for this growth is the recent changes to the New Urban Lease Regime (NRAU), as part of the Mais Habitação legislative package. The new measures, which aim to simplify eviction procedures in cases of breach of contract, allow landlords to proceed with eviction even when it is not possible to formally notify the tenant of the termination of the lease.

In practice, these changes have significantly reduced the legal obstacles for landlords to recover their properties, especially in cases of non-payment of rent. As a result, even in a scenario where the number of new rental contracts has been falling due to uncertainty and high prices, eviction orders continue to increase.

Lisbon and Porto lead in eviction numbers

Regional analysis of the data confirms that Lisbon remains the epicentre of this crisis. In the Portuguese capital alone, 282 evictions were completed, representing about 21% of the national total. This number reflects the weight that the rental market has in the city and the enormous pressure on the available housing stock.

The Porto region comes in second place, with a total of 193 procedures completed, which, despite representing a slight decrease of 10% compared to 2024, continues to highlight the housing challenges also faced in the north of the country.

Lisbon remains the city with the highest number of special eviction procedures initiated. In total, 441 cases were registered, corresponding to almost 40% of all cases in the country. This geographical concentration of evictions is closely linked to the imbalance between supply and demand, rising rental prices and property speculation, which make it increasingly difficult to access decent housing in large cities.

Social impact exacerbated by lack of housing solutions

In 2024, the courts of first instance received a total of 2,724 new eviction cases. Everything indicates that this number will be exceeded by the end of 2025 if the growth trend continues. However, many eviction cases remain outside the official statistics, as not all rental contracts are formally registered, which contributes to underreporting of the phenomenon.

In some urban areas, informal neighbourhoods and overcrowded housing situations are beginning to emerge as a result of the lack of effective public solutions to meet the needs of evicted households. Pressure on urban centres is making the right to housing an increasingly distant goal for thousands of people.

Source: CASA SAPO