The movement Porta a Porta advised the Government to adopt a similar measure to the one approved in Spain to help solve the housing crisis issues. The measure approved in Spain has led to the taxation of 100% on the value of a purchased house by non-residents, from countries outside the EU.
The measure was announced by the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez and it is part of a pack of 12 initiatives aiming to make housing more affordable for Spanish citizens. The pack also includes measures that benefit landlords who sign long-term renting contracts and holds strict measures to those who sign short-term renting contracts.
What is the Porta a Porta movement?
Porta a Porta is a Portuguese movement that was created when the housing crisis affected Portugal. The group wants, above all, to make housing accessible to all Portuguese residents, by facilitating the access to housing.
The group is formed by people from various age groups, from the whole Portuguese territory, who share the struggles of maintaining a proper house, whether due to high rent prices or because of the increase of the taxes that are paid, when a house is bought.
Porta a Porta has already organised demonstrations, throughout the country, to call to the attention of governors to provide proper housing measures to the Portuguese citizens.
Currently, the movement has available a petition for people to sign supporting the group’s principles that everyone deserves a house, as described in the 65th article of the Portuguese Constitution.
The Portuguese call-out
The spokesperson for Porta a Porta, André Escoval, stated that Portugal should adopt similar initiatives, defending that relying on market dynamics did not solve the housing crisis being felt in the country. In the same statement, Escoval mentioned that the housing crisis in Portugal has gradually increased.
On the other hand, Carlos Luís Teixeira, representative of the National Association of Property Owners in Portugal, pointed out that the housing crisis in the country results, mainly, from a lack of social and economic issues. According to the representative, the Spanish’s initiatives are not problematic, however, Portugal must invest in housing solutions, that pass by modernising the construction sector and guaranteeing public support for the purchase of properties.
Deeply in love with music and with a guilty pleasure in criminal cases, Bruno G. Santos decided to study Journalism and Communication, hoping to combine both passions into writing. The journalist is also a passionate traveller who likes to write about other cultures and discover the various hidden gems from Portugal and the world. Press card: 8463.

This measure is not the solution to the housing problem. The cost of building materials globally is a major factor. Furthermore there are many people whom have gotten mortgages in the last five years, if we devalue, houses, and properties in general alike, it will result in people potentially walking away from mortgages, which would put us into a financial crisis worse than what happened in 2008. Something definitely needs to be done, but there needs to be a lot of considerations taken into it, you cannot have a blanket solution that works for one group while taking away from honest hard working people whom have bought a house. Also foreign buyers outside of the EU should not be punished in this way it is completely xenophobic, the tax should be at most 50%. What about wealthy investors from other EU countries, of which there are many. In my opinion this is simply political grandstanding with no real solution for the people whom actually need it. Of which sadly there are many.
By AB from Algarve on 21 Jan 2025, 19:18
I would put a 100% tax on the second portuguese property owned by Eu non Eu residents.
That way it will filter out the landlords that price gouge using Airbnb and who actually destroy the long term rental market as well as distorting prices.
The whole idea of owning a portfolio of buy to let properties is a major cause of all this chaos.
It causes too much suffering due to lack of properties available for living in
The fact that they remain empty for over 6 months a year is all the proof you need.
Having a home to live in is a human right,not a means to exploit for personal gain.
By James from Algarve on 21 Jan 2025, 22:15
Populist foreigner bashing that will punish the few and benefit none.
If Portugal really wants to make housing affordable for the middle and lower classes, why not lower or even abolish the 28%residential rental tax?
Yes, it's charged to the landlord, but the money has to be made up by higher rental prices.
Making tenant's rights more even handed would help too.
There is plenty of money just looking for any reasonable, stable, safe investments. Residential rental property could so easily be that.
Investors are not the enemy. It takes money to build and renovate homes. The money is here; all that needs to be done is to let it work.
By mark Holden from Algarve on 21 Jan 2025, 23:01
please do your home work, The 100% tax is an idea in Spain it has not even been put in front of the parliment to approve yet!!
In any case, why would Portugal and Spain want to kill the golden goose??
By GARY BICKLEY from Other on 22 Jan 2025, 10:17
Your article is highly misleading. The Spanish government have not introduced a 100% Foreigner's Tax. So far it is just sound bites from a shaky coalition government with its leader trying to generate more popular support. Such suggestions smack of the always destined to be doomed 'mais habitacao' programme introduced by Portugal only for most of it to be rescinded when it was realised that it would do more damage than good. Policies created on the hoof by politicians are merely to make them look good in the short term and are soon to be forgotten.
By Stephen White from Algarve on 22 Jan 2025, 10:28
This is a “brillian” idea. Socialist & communist solutions has really benefitted the populations around the world. This idea will make Portugal and Spain extremely poor again and make it the Venezuelas of Europae. Really Clever dudes.
By Marty from Algarve on 22 Jan 2025, 10:54
I agree this isn't the solution the government should put a cap in how many houses foreigners and EU can buy since there is people that buy more than one house and many of them are empty all year around only the gardens and cleaners plus the trade men go there do their jobs and never lived . A fine example is Ulgueria Sintra a German women bought 5 big proprieties and until these day never did live in none of them empty houses . And even in my street in Sintra historic area 4 houses big houses that none shows up to live .
By Isabel Oliveira from Lisbon on 22 Jan 2025, 10:58
This will show whom government serves, and most of us already know the outcome. Also, non-individuals have no place owning homes. Equity funds and "investors" should pay 200% tax.
By nunof from Lisbon on 22 Jan 2025, 11:05
There are older empty houses everywhere you look but the Portuguese don’t want to live in them
By David S from Algarve on 22 Jan 2025, 11:11
Instead of trying to follow Spain's model which is certain to fail, Portugal should follow the Argentinian model where in one year it has had huge success. Inventory of apartments in Buenos Aires had doubled. How? Just liberalize the market, get rid of so many times and restrictions, let prices go up freely after the end of contract, make it easy for tenants two kick out non payers. Argentina is just one of the latest example where liberalization has worked. This also for building and remodeling of course!
By Cesar Penafiel from USA on 22 Jan 2025, 11:11
I completely agree with this proposal, although citizens of the UK must be exempt from the scheme since the entire country voted for its glorious Brexit and we demand better treatment than foreigners.
By Mark Barber from UK on 22 Jan 2025, 11:15
This organisation is living in cloud cuckoo land, and firm believers in 'fantasy economics', the view that others are prepared to work harder and pay more tax so that you can have something for free, or heavily subsidised. It is a fairytale view that signing a petition because 'everyone deserves a house' will actually generate any positive results.
There is a housing crisis in Portugal because of excessive government intervention, taxation and controls. The more you demonise landlords, investors and second home owners, the more you portray Portugal as an unwelcoming and unattractive country that hates wealth generation and success. That is what is driving investment away.
By Billy Bissett from Porto on 22 Jan 2025, 13:00
This is an extreme badly considered suggestion. There are 10 million plus Portuguese inhabitants and probably far less Immigrants from outside the EU. When one drives around Portugal and sees the number of derelict homes and buildings it is unbelievable. The builders are generally lazy, take two hours for lunch, consume vast quantities of beer on site and take far too long to finish a construction. Then there is the builder who doesn't wish to build a small €200 000 home as the profit is too small, rather a larger home with a bigger profit. The municipalities take forever to approve building plans and the entire process is delayed with bureaucracy. The government need to subsidise builders to create more homes and force derelict properties to be utilised by taxing vacant ruins at a higher rate. Don't blame the immigrant for your inefficiencies.
By Ronald from Lisbon on 22 Jan 2025, 13:10
This is a highly misleading and a poorly researched article. This measure has not been ‘authorized’ in Spain but is merely a proposal which has to pass through the Spanish Parliament. I strongly suggest you issue a correction. David
By David G Williams from UK on 22 Jan 2025, 14:26
100% of which property tax?
By John Mather from Madeira on 22 Jan 2025, 15:36
Well what genius, destroy the property market, the tourist trade and any hope of long-term growth all in one go. Socialism doesn't work. Never will.
By David from UK on 22 Jan 2025, 17:16
You think 100 Americans/Canadians buying EUR600k+ value mostly-new houses is the cause of PT housing problems? A lot of spending and construction/support jobs come with those expats or second home owners. What a stupid idea this is! Changing behavior through taxation is like cutting down the legs of basketball players so that some are not taller than others.
By Brian Sanders from Other on 22 Jan 2025, 17:18
The incompetent governments are always looking someone else to blame other then themselves. The high taxes, the low availability of land and the lack of qualified workers have astronomically increased the house prices, leaving no space for the middle class. The controlled rental market and the terrible returns and risks on it, have made people not to buy properties to rent. Which made builders not build long these properties which generate a default in houses available. Blaming airbnb is statistically incorrect as well as blaming others, but as always it’s easy to blame others than yourself.
Don’t be naive with 100% taxes, there are so many ways to bypassed it even if it’s approved. It will only exist on paper..
By Diego Cunha from Lisbon on 22 Jan 2025, 20:23
As a Luso - Canadian and growing up in Canada for most of my adult life, it is both alarming and astonishing how the left parties; Socialist Lobby Groups, PS, BE, Communists and Livre parties wield great power and influence here in Portugal. The Left has and continue to have a diabolical plan of keeping everyone equally poor in Portugal by getting rid of Golden Visas, Increasing Taxes, watering down the NHR scheme, open borders to allow as many unskilled and poor immigration into Portugal to allow for their social causes to be relevant...all under the guise of Social Justice and equality... i.e. pressure on housing, education, health-care, and all government services. Their continued attacks and stigmatization of wealth, free enterprise, lower corporate taxes and their fixation on more and more regulation, bureaucracy and taxes aims to keep Portugal poor and a NET benefactor of EU funds. The Wealth of Nations, by Adam Smith and Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman, should be compulsory reading for all Secondary School children in Portugal vs the Woke literature that the left is peddling to our young. It is no wonder that some indicators have put the Portuguese as the most Financially illiterate country in Europe. Portugal needs to get its priorities straight and stop fawning to the left with all its decadent social eccentricities which, Portugal today, can ill afford. As Javier Milei would say; Long Live Freedom, Damn it!
By Eliot from Lisbon on 23 Jan 2025, 07:47
Tax and tourism, Portugals great revenue generators! Put them both together and you have a government nirvana. In reality there is very little else here to generate revenue. It is a vicious circle. In reality homes should be for living, 100% tax on all second homes and non resident properties makes perfect sense. Why should local communities subsidize investors with tax breaks? And it an unarguable fact that most revenue generated by FOB’s goes off shore. There is a reason Portugal infrastructure and socio economic conditions are a mess, and it is not the local Portuguese!
By Stuart Wood from Algarve on 24 Jan 2025, 11:51
Taxing is not the the way forward, building houses is the way forward, but the bureaucracy in Portugal regarding building is out dated and small minded,
I can speak from experience on this matter ,
They should allow tax breaks for smaller companies to build houses or apartments to fit the needs of the local area , and sold to citizens, or residents ,
if an existing house is sold to citizens or residents , the seller also get tax breaks for fulling this requirement, not get over taxed
Many properties in my area have been up for sale for many years will gives the locals the opportunity to purchase the properties, only to find they have been purchased by non residents,
So many apartments complex’s have commercial units below , which stand empty, these could easily be transformed into affordable units low income units,
But the municipality’s bureaucracy put so many obstacles in the way, again I speak for experience as I’ve just completed a project of this nature,
The main investment needs to be by the government to have affordable housing built and owned the country , invest in the people don’t tax the hell out of it
By Martin from Other on 24 Jan 2025, 20:03
These articles are becoming more prevalent, outlining the plight of local people, not ex-pats or investors. Referencing “woke” policies as a reason for depriving residents of their homes. Really, have some of you no shame!
By Stuart Wood from Algarve on 25 Jan 2025, 09:39
I do think that something needs to be done, even in the UK too many people own too many properties and then have the audacity to charge extortionate rents (which are usually higher than a mortgage repayment). So yes, limit ownership to foreigners to one property.
Myself, I bought a derelict place no-one wanted, had been on the market for years. It was 25k euros and I have spent more than that renovating it - I used local builders and supply companies - putting money back into the system.
So, I ask you not to tar all foreigners with the same brush, when we bring our income and invest it in Portugal.
I also agree with Isobel (Sintra) little point owning property if you are not going to use it... Let owning multiple properties.
By Michael John Saint from UK on 25 Jan 2025, 11:15
The problem is not the few out of EU foreigners who buy holiday homes for themselves, but the weekly rentals for "investors". Strangely the article doesn't point this out. What percentage of homes are weekly rentals in coastal areas including Lisbon? I know whole areas where almost every home is for weekly rent. House prices are so high as they are set by how much profitable it is renting them out weekly.
Just ban AL weekly rentals, then hotels will be much busier creating jobs, and a huge amount of housing will come back to the market!
By Michael from Algarve on 25 Jan 2025, 16:44