Buying a home in Portugal changed in 2024, and it is changing again in 2026. Here is what changed, in plain English, and how to protect yourself before you sign.
Buying a home in Portugal changed in 2024, and it is changing again in 2026. The headline for buyers is simple: less is now checked on your behalf before a sale completes.
That makes doing your own due diligence more important than ever. Here is what changed, in plain English, and how to protect yourself.
This is general information, not legal advice. For your own purchase, always use a lawyer.
In January 2024, Portugal introduced Decree-Law 10/2024, known as the Simplex Urbanístico, a package of measures to speed up property sales. One change matters most to buyers.
The seller had to present the property's use licence (licença de utilização) to complete the sale, and hand over the technical data sheet (ficha técnica de habitação) at the deed. The notary checked these.
Those documents no longer have to be presented at the deed, and the notary no longer verifies them. The sale can complete with far less paperwork checked.
This was meant to make buying faster. But it also means a property can change hands without anyone officially confirming it is properly licensed.
From 1 October 2026, a follow-up reform (Decree-Law 108/2026) adds a safeguard back: the deed will have to state whether or not the property has an urban title, the paperwork proving the building work was done legally. But there is a catch. A seller can simply declare that it does not, and still complete the sale. So the responsibility to check, and to decide whether you are comfortable, still sits with you, the buyer.
Put simply: the system now assumes you will do your own checking.
If a property has an unlicensed extension, unapproved alterations, or work that was never properly signed off, it may not surface before you sign. Problems you do not catch can become your cost to fix later, even a council order to undo the work. You are not to blame for someone else's illegal building, but as the new owner you can end up carrying the cost and the hassle.
Protecting yourself means covering two separate things, and they are done by two different people.
Whether the property is properly licensed and registered, whether extensions are approved, whether the title is clean. This is legal and documentary due diligence. Always use a lawyer for this.
What condition the property is actually in: structure, roof, damp, electrics, plumbing, drainage. Our qualified architects and civil engineers give you an honest, photographed report in 48 hours.
You need both. A lawyer confirms the property is legally sound; an inspection tells you it is physically sound. Together, that is how you avoid nasty surprises after you sign.
No. Home inspections are not legally required in Portugal, but with less now verified at the deed, they are how buyers protect themselves from costly hidden problems.
See also our home inspection services and the pre-purchase inspection guide.
An independent PIDS inspection tells you the true physical condition of the property, with a bilingual report in 48 hours. From €450.
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