Latest news and stories about vacant homes in Portugal for expats and residents.
Local councils have recorded thefts of copper from power cables and of fuel from generators, but burglaries of homes have not been very evident.
Residents of the affected rural areas fear burglaries and the deterioration of these properties, with no one to look after them.
The OECD recommends that Portugal lower the IMT (property transfer tax) and raise the IMI (municipal property tax), particularly for vacant homes. The recommendations come at a time when parliament approved a package of measures intended to help resolve the housing problem. We analyse the impact on the property market with economist João Duque. Listen to the podcast here.
Portugal is among the European countries with the highest share of second homes and vacant dwellings, although this proportion has fallen slightly in recent years.
