The rental law under debate could change deposits, renewals and evictions

November 3, 2026, Portugal

Morning. It's Tuesday, 3 November. Lisbon 23° · Porto 19° · Faro 24°, dry and partly cloudy across the mainland. Let's get into it.

📰 THE MAIN STORY

The government's changes to the lei do arrendamento, the rental law, are back at the centre of the housing debate. Yesterday the housing minister, Miguel Pinto Luz, called on Chega to help pass them, reported by ECO. Parliament approved the bill in principle on 30 September, and it is now being reworked in committee.

What it means for you: if you rent or plan to, the proposal as approved in principle would, according to DECO PROteste, the consumer association:

Watch out for: none of this applies yet, and the text can still change.

Housing is what many people here are talking about. Protesters had camped for weeks at Rossio in Lisbon and in Porto's Praça D. João I until police cleared both camps before dawn on Sunday, and President António José Seguro has asked for a full account of the operation.

The government needs Chega for the final vote, which has no date yet. Chega abstained in September and has threatened to vote against unless deposits are capped. A PSD MP has suggested a cap of three months' rent could unlock a deal, reported by ECO, while the PS, the main opposition party, wants the bill withdrawn.

In short: if you're signing or renewing a lease in the coming months, keep an eye on the rules for deposits and renewals.

⚡ IN BRIEF

Temperatures are dropping this week. Highs of about 15°C to 23°C are expected today and tomorrow, and inland areas of the north and centre could see lows close to 0°C, with frost in places, according to Meteored, reported by The Portugal News.

Rain may reach the mainland at the weekend, though forecasters say the timing is uncertain. The Azores and Madeira face a wetter run, with rain forecast on most days until Sunday and heavy rain across Madeira on Saturday, according to tempo.pt.

Six environmental groups, including Quercus and Zero, filed a lawsuit yesterday against a 260-hectare intensive tangerine orchard in Alcácer do Sal, on the Alentejo coast. They are challenging the environmental approval issued in August by the CCDR Alentejo, the regional development authority.

The project could draw up to 1,740 million litres of groundwater a year, which the groups say is almost double what the public network supplied the municipality in 2023. The aquifer is the only water source for Alcácer do Sal and Grândola, including Comporta and Melides, reported by Observador. The case is at the administrative court in Beja.

E-Redes, the company that runs the electricity grid, has scheduled short maintenance cuts until Friday. Today they affect parts of Vila Franca de Xira, Barreiro, Cascais and Estoril, and Pinheiro Grande in Chamusca. Later in the week, parts of Sintra, Montijo, Mafra, Almada and Loures are on the list.

Most cuts last one to two hours, early in the morning or before lunch, reported by The Portugal News. Check your address on the E-Redes website, and report an unexpected outage on its free line, 800 506 506.

📍 WORTH THE TRIP

Round the last bend, the whole village appears at once: dark schist houses stacked up a steep slope, their doors and shutters painted blue, and a white church standing out against the stone. Piódão, in the Serra do Açor, about 92 km from Coimbra, could only be reached on foot or horseback until the 1970s. It's one of the 12 Aldeias Históricas, Portugal's historic villages, and people call it the aldeia presépio, the nativity-scene village.

Climb the lanes to the eira, the old threshing floor, for views over the valley, then follow the trail of about 6 km to Foz d'Égua, where two schist bridges cross the streams. The catch: steep lanes, winding roads, and fog at any time of year.

Before you go: you'll need a car, since there's no public transport. Park in the village car park and explore on foot. Autumn brings oak and chestnut colour to the hills.

Local tip: stay for sunset at the viewpoint by the Capelinha da Senhora do Bom Parto.

Find it here: Google Maps

WORD OF THE DAY

Say it: kow-SOWNG (the ending is nasal, as if said through the nose)

Meaning: a deposit, the security money a landlord holds

“O senhorio pediu duas rendas de caução.”
The landlord asked for two months' rent as a deposit.

You'll see it in almost every rental ad. It's different from rendas antecipadas, rent paid in advance. The landlord is the senhorio, and the tenant the inquilino.

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Até amanhã,

Gabriel - DailyPortugal