Streets are used for illegal leasing

Some people are trying to make money from these famous public spaces. In recent days, a video circulated on social media showing a group of immigrants visiting a storage room in the parish of Alvalade, with the person showing the space simply saying, "It's enough to put beds." The video has since been removed, but it was clear that the place lacked any kind of sanitation.

Contacted by Nascer do SOL, the parish council said only that it was unaware of the video, nor of any situation related to the alleged leasing of public spaces, but both owners' and tenants' associations admitted to our newspaper that this type of illegal leasing is increasingly common.

"Besides being illegal, it's common to find the same type of situation with store rentals, where they quickly become dormitories, and all of this is done with the complicity of the authorities, naturally," admits António Machado, secretary-general of the Lisbon Tenants Association (AIL). According to him, these cases don't come to the attention of the association through complaints or reports, since "it's all illegal." But the AIL is becoming aware of them. "These are cases in which we don't directly or personally intervene, but we are aware of leases that are done illegally, informally, and are marked by poor conditions. Everything is done, above all, with the complicity of the authorities, of the municipalities, as a result of a lack of oversight. It's unacceptable," he confesses to our newspaper.

Regarding oversight, António Machado acknowledges that, even when it exists, there are no consequences for those who commit the crime. "This oversight thing has a lot to say, because there are cases where the Lisbon Municipal Police go to the location and throw people out, but the owner remains unmoved and calm, meaning nothing happens to him, and as such, it's natural that he returns to the same situation. Those who pay the price, pardon the expression, are the unfortunate people who were paying for that space." He adds: "This can't be oversight; it has to be something else; it has to be a hard, ugly blow to the owner. The responsibility can't fall entirely on those in need, naturally, because those without money are subject to these situations. This shows that when something happens, it usually falls on the injured party, who are already victims of the situation."

The targets of these illegal rentals are not only immigrants, but also students "to circumvent the extremely high prices being charged." Therefore, the entity has now submitted 30 measures to the government to try to solve the housing problem, urging the government to regulate, register, and monitor the rental market, impose regulatory measures on market prices, and invest in programs to increase supply, particularly by capturing vacant and vacant homes. According to a study by idealista, the financial effort required to rent a home in Portugal increased to 83% in the second quarter, one percentage point higher than the 82% recorded at the same time in 2024.

Living illegally Luís Menezes Leitão, president of the Lisbon Property Owners Association (ALP), also admits that these types of properties are unsuitable for rental housing. "Unfortunately, we are seeing many cases of illegal rentals, particularly in the case of commercial spaces, but not limited to them. This is something that is causing us great concern," he told Nascer do SOL.

However, he points out that monitoring is very difficult and also acknowledges that the ALP only becomes aware of situations when they occur. "Usually, when these cases become known, that's when there's a problem. Unfortunately, we're seeing these types of rentals in Lisbon, particularly of stores and storage facilities. These situations are outside the normal market, and we're always dealing with illegal rentals," he emphasizes.

And he highlights one aspect: a housing permit is only required for houses built after 1951, but if the space is designated as a warehouse or garage, it cannot be used as a residence. "In these cases, the condominium may intervene due to a change in its intended purpose," he adds.

The Alvalade Parish Council website presents a redevelopment program for the public square, noting that an initial redevelopment proposal was presented to the public in October 2019 and has since received more than three dozen contributions regarding the process. In light of this scenario, the council plans to plant 100 trees (street trees and fruit trees in orchards) and shrub and herbaceous species, create vegetable plots, increase the permeable area, create playgrounds, provide 45 parking spaces for residents, create new pedestrian access points, and improve street furniture.