The rent and the default

Our guides use 3% to 5% a year for Portugal.

On average 9 to 12 months from the first missed rent: 3 months of arrears before you can act, 2 to 6 months of procedure without opposition, 8 to 14 months if the tenant opposes.

Typical repairs: €1,000 to €3,000 (interior painting at €7 to €15/m², cleaning and small fixes).

Works and a new lease: 1 to 3 months, with today's demand.

Legal costs of the eviction

€25.50 (0.25 UC, with the UC at €102 in 2026). €51 if the claim is worth more than €30,000.

€150 to €400 for a simple eviction, up to €1,000 with a forced eviction.

€500 to €1,200 for a PED, up to €2,000 if the tenant opposes in court.

Total legal costs€1,126

The result

One default without insurance

€12,526

Unpaid rent, eviction, repairs and vacant months.

Unpaid rent
€8,100
Legal costs
€1,126
Repairs
€1,500
Vacant months
€1,800

Rent guarantee insurance, per year

€216 to €432

Order of magnitude: 2% to 4% of the annual rent. Policies usually cover 6 to 12 months of rent and part of the eviction costs.

Aluseg does not sell insurance.

One default costs as much as 39 years of rent insurance.

At 3% risk a year, the expected loss is €376 a year, against an estimated mid premium of €324. Without insurance, the numbers tend to work against you.

Indicative estimate. The premium is an order of magnitude from public sources, not a quote or a guarantee of acceptance: the real price depends on the insurer, the cover and the tenant's profile.

Sources and assumptions
  • Timing: 3 months of arrears before termination (art. 1083 of the Civil Code); PED of 2 to 6 months without opposition (idealista/news, 09/2025); 8 to 14 months with opposition (QUOR Advogados, 10/2025).
  • PED court fee: 0.25 UC or 0.5 UC (Portaria 9/2013, kept by Portaria 49/2024). UC of €102, unchanged by the 2026 State Budget (Lexpoint, 01/2026).
  • Enforcement agent and lawyer: QUOR Advogados (10/2025) and oadvogado.pt (10/2025).
  • Repairs: interior painting at €7 to €15/m² (Santander Salto).
  • New tenant: 23 contacts per rental listing in Q3 2025 (idealista/news, 10/2025).
  • Premium: about 1.3% of the rent in the Arrendamento Acessível policy (Tranquilidade: €6.54/month for a €500 rent); 2% to 5% of the annual rent on the open market.

Track every payment and act on the very first late rent.