New condominium management law in Portugal (2026)

As of September 2026, there is still no law regulating condominium management as an activity. What exists is a draft Government bill, currently going through the legislative process, which provides for mandatory licensing of management companies, a written contract with the condominium, professional liability insurance, training, a clean tax and social security record and more transparency in the accounts. Before it takes effect, it still has to be approved by the Council of Ministers and go through the rest of the legislative process. Many of these safeguards, however, can already be asked of any management company today.

Information updated in September 2026. This article describes a proposal in preparation, whose final content may change.

Why there is talk of a new law

Today, any person or company can manage a condominium. The Civil Code sets out the condominium administrator's duties (Article 1436) and how they are elected (Article 1435), but there are no requirements to enter the profession, no licence and no mandatory insurance for those who do it professionally.

The Housing Framework Law (Lei de Bases da Habitação, Law 83/2019 of 3 September) already provided that professional condominium management would be regulated by law. Seven years later, that regulation has still not been written.

Not to be confused with Law 8/2022, which changed the rules of the horizontal property (propriedade horizontal) regime — owners' meetings, minutes, collection of fees, the administrator's duties — and has been in force since 10 April 2022. The regulation now being prepared deals with something else: who can carry out the activity and on what terms.

Where the process stands

Based on what had been made public by September 2026:

• The preliminary draft was prepared with the involvement of APEGAC — the Portuguese Association of Condominium Management and Administration Companies — at the invitation of the Secretary of State for Housing.
• In June 2026, the Government confirmed that the bill was in the legislative process, collecting input from other government departments.
• After that stage, it will have to be approved by the Council of Ministers and, according to the information released, go to Parliament (Assembleia da República).

So far there is no public timetable for its approval or entry into force.

What the draft proposes

Based on the information released, the proposal rests on these points:

Proposed measure	What it means for the condominium
Mandatory licensing	Only licensed companies could carry out the activity professionally
Written contract	Services, fees and obligations would be set out in writing
Professional liability insurance	Protection for the condominium against the management company's errors or failures
Training	Training requirements for those carrying out the activity
Clean tax and social security record	Proof that the company is up to date with the Tax Authority and Social Security
Transparency in the accounts	Stricter rules for presenting the accounts to owners
Revocation of the licence	The licence could be withdrawn in cases of serious non-compliance

Important details are still unknown: which body will grant and supervise the licences, what training will be required, whether there will be a transition period for companies already operating and how it will apply to an owner who manages their own building. Until the text is approved and published, any answer to these questions is speculation.

The Digital Building Logbook

Also in June 2026, the Government announced the Digital Building Logbook (Caderno Digital do Edifício): a single record of each building's information, such as licences, maintenance, rules, accessibility and structural features. No implementation date has been announced.

If it goes ahead, it will make it easier to pass information between management companies and between owners. In the meantime, nothing stops a condominium from organising its own technical records now, using our annual checklist for a well-kept building as a starting point.

What you can already ask of your management company today

You do not need to wait for the new law to ask for good practice.

1. A written contract. Setting out the services included, the fees, the extras, the term and the conditions for ending it. If your management company works without a contract, ask for one.
2. Professional liability insurance. Ask whether the company has it, with which insurer and for what amount. Ask for a copy of the policy or a certificate.
3. Accessible, understandable accounts. The administrator must account to the owners' meeting (Article 1436). Ask for reports showing income, expenses, debts per unit and the balance of the common reserve fund, which must be deposited with a bank (Article 4 of Decree-Law 268/94).
4. Legal deadlines met. Carrying out resolutions within 15 working days, issuing the statement of charges within 10 days when a unit is sold, presenting three quotes for extraordinary maintenance works or improvements (inovações): all of this has been law since 2022.
5. Information about court proceedings. The administrator must inform the owners when the condominium is served or notified in proceedings and keep them updated on how they develop.

If the answers on these points are not satisfactory, the owners' meeting can decide to change management.

Transparency without waiting for the law

Condgest provides clear financial reports that each owner can access online through the owners' portal. Request a proposal for your building.