Albuquerque Says Unpaid Rent Should Lead to Immediate Eviction
The president of the Regional Government of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque, said today at the University of Madeira that Portugal’s rental law should be changed to allow faster evictions of tenants who fail to pay rent.
An individual who does not pay rent has to be put out on the street the next day, there has to be a law that does that.
Miguel Albuquerque, RTP Madeira
Madeira Leader Links Housing Crisis to Long Court Delays
Albuquerque said the housing crisis is partly connected to legal barriers that make it difficult to remove tenants who stop paying rent.
He defended the creation of a legal mechanism that would allow landlords to remove tenants immediately after non-payment. “The role of the landlord is not to provide social services, the role of the landlord is to enter the market and make the market work,” he said.
The regional leader spoke on the sidelines of a conference organized by the Mission Structure for the 50th anniversary of Madeira’s autonomy atthe University of Funchal. The event focused on health policy and public debate.
Faster Evictions Could Hit Vulnerable Renters in Madeira Hardest
In Madeira - as in the rest of Portugal and most developed countries - the law still requires formal procedures before someone can be evicted. Warnings, court hearings, appeals, and waiting periods often mean that eviction cases take months or even years.
But the debate becomes more sensitive when looking at Madeira’s housing reality. Salaries in Portugal remain around 35% below the European average, while rents in Madeira have increasingly approached prices seen in larger European cities and tourist regions.
This raises a wider question: should excessive pressure be placed on tenants who are already struggling with rising living costs and housing shortages? Easier and faster evictions could affect vulnerable groups the hardest - including single mothers, pensioners, low-income workers, and families living only from retirement income.
Questions also remain about what happens after an eviction. In an island region with limited housing supply and rising rents, finding another affordable place to live is becoming increasingly difficult.
Sources:
Observador
RTP Madeira
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