Portugal counts hundreds of thousands of empty houses — and a large share are inheritances nobody ever settled. Seen from Boston or London, the grandparents' house kept shut "for now" looks harmless. It is not.
What you risk with a vacant house
- Surcharged IMI: municipalities can multiply the property tax on vacant or ruined buildings;
- Municipal repair orders, enforceable at the owners' expense;
- Squatting and vandalism, painfully hard to manage from another continent;
- Accelerating decay: every unmaintained winter cuts the sale price;
- And under the new law, one co-heir tired of paying can force a sale — in whatever state the house is in.
Who is liable?
The undivided estate — all heirs, through the head of the estate — answers for the IMI, fines and third-party damage (the roof tile that injures a passer-by). Living abroad exempts no one.
The four ways out
- Sell as-is — demand for renovation projects is real, especially on the coast and in historic centres;
- Minimal works + rental — turns a cost into income that covers the taxes;
- Division, so the house goes to whoever truly wants it;
- Prepare for the amicable window of the new law if a co-heir is likely to trigger a sale.
The practical first step
Know exactly what exists: registry certificate, tax record, status of the heirs' deed, IMI arrears, current photos. HERDA's estate report assembles all of it within 72 hours, including an on-site check by a local partner — without you flying anywhere.