The National Landlords' Association speaks of "ignorance" on the part of the government regarding the measures presented.
Source: Freepik
Author: Redaction
The new housing strategy of Luís Montenegro's government has already been presented and, under the name "Construir Portugal: Nova Estratégia para a Habitação" (Building Portugal: New Strategy for Housing), it includes 30 measures that aim to address and respond to the vulnerabilities felt throughout the country in terms of housing supply.
The National Landlords Association (ANP) considers, however, that these measures do not cover the "truly important issues", and even points out that, with regard to renting, "it seems that there is a lack of knowledge of the matter".
As António Frias Marques, president of the ANP, points out, "the idea is that in relation to urban rentals, which is what concerns us the most, there is a lack of knowledge of what is going on".
The head of the association mentioned some measures, pointing out, for example, that with regard to renovation work, "it is stated that there is a reduction in VAT to the minimum rate of 6 per cent", whereas this was a measure that "already existed".
As for the government's initiative to re-establish confidence in renting, namely with the measure that repeals coercive renting, or the "guarantee and replacement of the state as a tenant", Frias Marques emphasises that "there has never been the administrative machinery to make this work".
One of the criticisms levelled was the omission of measures on rents for contracts prior to 1990, pointing out that there will continue to be "around 200,000 rents of less than 50 euros".
As far as taxes are concerned, António Fria Marques points out that "the whole of Lisbon is considered an urban regeneration area and there, whether it's a house or a shop, the owner is penalised brutally in terms of IMI. A shop that would have had to pay an IMI of 70 euros, as it has a penalty, will pay 700 euros."
He added: "It's one of those things that it would be good if someone looked at, because Lisbon is full of empty shops, and it's not because the owner wants them to be, it's because there really isn't anyone to rent them out".
He concluded with a comment on vacant properties: "in Lisbon there are around 100,000 houses that are vacant, but they're in such a state that no one goes inside and the poor owner is trying to find the money to do the work."
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