The knock-on effect of Lisbon’s rising popularity threatens to push ‘long-term’ mostly elderly inhabitants out of their homes with rent increases that are going off the scale.
Says Diário de Notícias, there are at least 100,000 ‘families’ who will see their rents triple by 2020.
Lisbon council is in the process of creating a “protection mechanism” to give practical support against evictions which should come into effect in May.
But whether it can stem the relentless tide of gentrification is the question.
As the Association of Lisbon Tenants explained there are tenants who have been paying monthly rents of between €200-€300 for years who are now suddenly confronted with two and three-fold increases.
The issue stems from the fact that the “transition period” of Lisbon’s ‘new urban rental regime’ is close to ‘time out’.
By 2020, the brakes will be off – allowing landlords to set rents according to the value of their properties.
Considering property prices have skyrocketed, long-term tenants will be faced with paying up or shipping out.
President of the city’s tenants association explains, “the majority of these people are elderly”, while the national landlord’s association argues that if that is the case, most of them should be protected by law.
To ensure against the possibility of mass evictions, Lisbon council is “actioning a support mechanism”.
A council source has told DN that a “systematic study” is being undertaken of Lisbon’s habitational problems, with data being collected by parish council and residents’ associations.
For now no-one is sure of the number of people at risk.
Says DN, in 2012, there were 250,000 families involved. This has since reduced to what the association of tenants believe to be 100,000.
natasha.donn@algarveresident.com
