Portugal parliament backs swifter evictions, end of rent caps

Portugal's ​parliament approved on ​Wednesday, in ‌the first ​reading, a contentious rental market overhaul aimed to ‌speed up evictions and end rent controls on new leases in what the centre-right government hopes will ‌encourage landlords to put more homes ‌on the market. The reform, criticised by tenants' associations as "savagery", sharply contrasts with developments ⁠in ​neighbouring Spain where ⁠the leftist government on Tuesday decreed a ⁠ban on evictions of vulnerable tenants until ​2030, along with other measures, amid protests ⁠against evictions and rising rents.

The general outline ⁠of ​the reform was approved thanks to the abstention of the far-right ⁠party Chega, which had also expressed its objections ⁠during ⁠the debate, while all of the left-wing parties voted against.