Nearly 32,000 asset-sharing disputes are currently pending in courts and notary offices, with resolution times stretching up to seven years and the total number of affected properties remaining unknown.

The government is preparing changes to housing policy that would allow one heir to force the sale of an inherited property even if others disagree. The plan also includes measures to accelerate evictions for non-compliance to encourage more owners to put houses on the rental market. While the government is ending the previous policy of forced leasing (arrendamento forçado), critics argue the new “forced selling” measure is equally controversial. Property owners and heirs should be aware of these upcoming legal shifts.

The government has approved new regulations to resolve undivided inheritances, aiming to boost housing supply and enhance fire prevention efforts.

The government is set to approve changes to tenancy laws (Lei do Arrendamento) this Thursday to expedite judicial decisions for non-payment of rent. The measures, led by Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Miguel Pinto Luz, aim to restore landlord confidence and bring thousands of vacant properties back to the market. Tenants should note that while the reform targets persistent non-payment, the government has stated it will include protections for vulnerable residents.

Update: New rules for undivided inheritances and evictions

The Council of Ministers (Conselho de Ministros) has approved three bills to resolve impasses in undivided inheritances (heranças indivisas) and speed up evictions for rent arrears. Minister of the Presidency (Ministro da Presidência) António Leitão Amaro explained that after two years of an inheritance being accepted, a single heir can now initiate a property sale to prevent one person from blocking the process. The government will consult Parliament next week, aiming to finalize the laws by the end of the month.

A real estate businessman has been charged with 52 counts of qualified fraud, stemming from fictitious transactions involving the sale of properties that were seized by the state. This case highlights significant issues within the real estate market and raises questions about legal reforms needed to prevent such fraudulent activities.

Right of reply from the Minister of Agriculture to PÚBLICO’s 23–24 January coverage, addressed to the ICNF. The minister argues that regulatory or legal obstacles that block project approvals should be tackled by changing the law rather than abandoning projects, stressing that governing cannot be synonymous with mere execution. The reply frames the issue as one of policy and regulatory design — balancing property rights, environmental protection and development — and calls for clearer, reform-minded legal solutions to streamline approvals while respecting conservation responsibilities.

Investigative piece on the collapse of consumer protections in Palmela where more than 120 families — including expat buyers — lost everything after developers repeatedly sold the same house, in some cases up to four times. The report highlights systemic failures: an apparently unpunished builder, gaps in property and consumer law, and a market environment that erodes buyer confidence. It argues for urgent legal reform to protect purchasers and prevent further families being defrauded.

A parliamentary move — despite abstentions from PSD and CDS-PP — brings Portugal closer to lengthening the initial parental leave available to working parents. The new episode of the 'Ao Trabalho!' podcast examines that development alongside other labour‑market highlights, offering concise analysis of labour, social-security and employment-law developments every Thursday.

A citizens' initiative that gathered more than 42,000 signatures has forced Parliament to reopen debate on reforming initial parental leave. The proposal — to extend leave from the current 120/150 days to 180/210 days (effectively six months) at 100% pay regardless of how it is shared between parents — will be reconsidered in the Assembly of the Republic after an earlier attempt was nullified by the dissolution of the Assembly and the fall of the Government in March 2025. An earlier related extension was approved on 27 September 2024, but procedural developments and the renewed petition have brought the issue back onto the legislative agenda.

A proposed measure in a housing-supply package due for a parliamentary vote this Friday would make the absence of a required licence a ground for invalidating property sales. Analytically, the change could introduce significant legal uncertainty for buyers, sellers, lenders and conveyancers, risk delaying transactions and cooling market activity unless clear transitional rules and enforcement guidance are set out. Stakeholders will be watching for details on compliance requirements, liability allocation and any safeguards to avoid unintended disruption to the housing market.