Renda Acessível in Lisbon: Income Limits, Rents and the Lottery
City-owned flats at rents tied to income, allocated by public draw. Who qualifies, how rent is set and what to do before the next call opens on Habitar Lisboa.
Lisbon’s Affordable Rent Program (Programa Renda Acessível, PRA) rents city-owned homes by lottery to households on middle incomes, with rent set at about 30% of disposable income. Adults with a valid Portuguese residence permit can apply on the city’s Habitar Lisboa platform; a single person must earn no more than €35,000 a year.
Homes are offered in numbered calls (concursos), each with its own list of flats and deadlines. The 40th call, for 14 homes in Benfica, closed on 5 November 2026 with the draw set for 11 November. Rules below are as of November 2026.
Who can apply for Renda Acessível in Lisbon?
Portuguese citizens and foreign residents aged 18 or over with a valid residence permit, whose income can be proven. The city’s service page and its FAQ list the main conditions:
- household income within the minimum and maximum limits for the household size;
- an IRS return and assessment note (nota de liquidação) for every adult in the household, normally for the last tax year;
- no one in the household owns, or has a life interest in, a home anywhere in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, with narrow exceptions;
- no one in the household rents another home in the metropolitan area, unless the new home will replace it and the old lease is ended;
- registration on the Habitar Lisboa platform before applying.
There is no nationality requirement and no fee to apply. The proof of income is what most often trips up newcomers: if you have no Portuguese IRS assessment yet, the FAQ says to wait for a later call. Our guide to the IRS tax return explains how to file one.
What are the income limits?
The city’s FAQ sets both a floor and a ceiling on gross annual household income:
| Household | Minimum income | Maximum income |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | 100% of the annual national minimum wage | €35,000 a year |
| 2 people | Plus 50% of the annual minimum wage per extra adult | €45,000 a year |
| 3 or more people | Plus 50% per extra adult | €45,000 plus €5,000 for each extra dependent on the IRS return |
Some calls are for homes paid for with national 1.º Direito money or EU Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) funds. For those, the maximum is different: the average monthly income, adjusted by an equivalence scale, must be below four times the IAS social support index. The call notice says which rules apply, so read it before you apply.
How is the rent set?
Rent equals an effort rate multiplied by the household’s monthly disposable income. The reference effort rate is 30%, reduced by 2 percentage points for each dependent. The result must fall between the minimum and maximum rents the city sets for each home type in Annex IV of its housing regulation (Regulamento Municipal do Direito à Habitação); if the calculation is above the maximum, the maximum applies.
This is why you can only apply for homes whose rent and size match your income and household: the platform filters them for you.
How do I apply, step by step?
- Register on the Habitar Lisboa platform (registo de adesão) with the details of everyone in the household and the figures from line 1 (global income) and line 22 (net tax) of each IRS assessment.
- Wait for a call to open. The city announces calls on lisboa.pt and on the platform, and registered users can get an email or SMS.
- When a call is open, look at the list of homes (Habitações a concurso), with plans, photos and rents, and apply ranking the homes you want. Each household can apply only once per call.
- Follow the published dates for the list of admitted applications, the draw and the final ordered list.
- If you are drawn, upload the supporting documents in your personal area within the deadline. The city checks income and the access rules only after the draw.
People without internet access can book in-person help at a Loja Lisboa (Baixa, Entrecampos, Marvila or Saldanha). The city’s FAQ gives 800 910 211 and 218 170 552 for booking by phone, weekdays from 10:00 to 17:00.
How does the lottery work?
The draw is electronic and public. The system puts all valid applications in a random order; homes are then assigned in that order according to each applicant’s preferences and what is still free. Being high on the list does not guarantee a home if the ones you ranked were taken by people drawn earlier.
If a winner drops out or fails the document check, the home goes to the next applicant on the list who had selected it. In 2025 the city annulled the draw of its 29th call because, in its words, regulatory formalities had not been met, and ordered an external audit; the FAQ says the draw module is audited by an entity other than the one that built it.
What is on offer right now?
Calls are small compared with demand. The 40th call, run with the Benfica parish council and funded by the PRR, offered 14 homes from two to four bedrooms (T2 to T4), with applications from 20 October to 5 November 2026 and the draw on 11 November 2026. Earlier in 2026 the city ran a call for 32 homes and approved one with specific rules for people up to 35. Watch the city’s agenda for the next one.
If you do not qualify or are not drawn, the national Porta 65 rent support helps with private rents, and our guide to renting an apartment in Lisbon covers contracts and deposits.
Bottom line
Registering on Habitar Lisboa before a call opens is the step people skip and regret, because the 40th call was open for just over two weeks. Keep your IRS assessments ready for every adult, apply only for homes you would really take, and treat the program as one option among several rather than a plan.
FAQ
Can foreigners apply for Lisbon’s affordable rent homes?
Yes, if they are 18 or over and hold a valid Portuguese residence permit. Income must be proven with a Portuguese IRS assessment for each adult.
Do I need to live or work in Lisbon to apply?
The city’s general conditions do not require it, but individual calls can add requirements, such as the call for people up to 35. Read the call notice (aviso de abertura).
Can I apply if I own a flat outside Lisbon?
Not if it is a home in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, unless you are legally prevented from living there or it is unfit to live in. A home outside the metropolitan area does not block an application under the FAQ rule.
How long is the lease?
That depends on the call and the contract. The city can ask for updated income documents when the lease is renewed to check that you still qualify.
