Porta 65 Jovem and Rent Support in Portugal: Who Can Get Help
Portugal has two main rent aids for ordinary tenants: Porta 65 for young people and an automatic support for older leases. Conditions, limits and what foreign residents should check.
Porta 65 Jovem is a state subsidy for tenants aged 18 to 35 that pays part of the monthly rent for 12 months at a time, renewable up to five years. As of November 2026, applications are open all year on the Portal da Habitação, run by the housing institute IHRU. Approval depends on income, rent limits and available budget.
A second scheme, the extraordinary rent support (apoio extraordinário à renda), is paid automatically to some tenants with older leases and high rent burdens. Both are explained below as of November 2026; amounts and limits change, so run the official simulator before you plan around a payment.
Who can apply for Porta 65 Jovem?
The scheme is for young people renting a permanent home. Under Decree-Law 308/2007 as amended in 2024, the beneficiaries are:
- young people aged 18 to 35 living alone;
- young couples aged 18 to 35, married or not, where one partner may be up to 37;
- young people aged 18 to 35 sharing a home as their permanent residence, who must apply together and all sign the lease.
Since a change in force from 1 September 2024 you can apply without a lease yet. If you are approved, the lease must be registered with Finanças within two months of the results being published, or you lose the support. The gov.pt Porta 65 page says applications are always open. Renting a single room does not qualify.
What are the income and rent limits?
Several tests apply at once, set out in article 7 of the decree-law:
| Condition (as of November 2026) | Rule |
|---|---|
| Rent burden | Rent cannot exceed 60% of the household’s average gross monthly income |
| Maximum rent | Rent cannot exceed the maximum admitted rent for the area and size of home, published by IHRU |
| Income ceiling 1 | Adjusted household income at most four times the maximum reference rent |
| Income ceiling 2 | Adjusted household income at most four times the minimum wage (€920 a month in 2026) |
| Size of home | Suitable for the household; a single person or a couple without children can apply for up to a two-bedroom home (T2) |
| Other homes | No one in the household owns or rents another home |
| Family links | No one is related to the landlord |
Income means gross employment and self-employment income from the IRS return of the previous year; for freelancers only 70% of service income counts. Porta 65 cannot be combined with other public housing support.
How much does Porta 65 pay?
The subsidy is a percentage of your monthly rent, paid monthly into your bank account, and it falls each year of support. The percentages are set by government order (Portaria 277-A/2010, as amended). Extra percentage points apply in some cases:
- +20% for homes in historic areas or urban rehabilitation areas;
- +15% with one dependent, or a household member with a disability of 60% or more;
- +20% with two or more dependents;
- a further boost for single-parent households.
Applications are ranked by score and funded until the year’s budget runs out, so meeting every condition does not guarantee approval. The Portal da Habitação has a simulator for the expected amount.
How do I apply?
Online only, on the Portal da Habitação. The steps:
- Have each applicant’s NIF and Portal das Finanças password ready.
- The first applicant starts the form and lists the other applicants’ NIFs.
- Each applicant logs in with their own NIF and password and completes their personal data.
- Attach the scanned documents the form asks for, in PDF.
- Submit, and check the application area weekly for questions from IHRU.
All applicants’ tax addresses must be the rented home. Update your address with Finanças first; our guide to the NIF explains how.
Can foreign residents apply?
The decree-law sets age, income and housing conditions but no nationality condition. In practice you need a NIF, Portal das Finanças access, your tax address at the rented home and an income record in your Portuguese IRS return. People who arrived recently and have not yet filed an IRS return in Portugal should ask IHRU how their income will be assessed before applying; see our guide to the IRS return.
What other rent support exists?
The extraordinary rent support created by Decree-Law 20-B/2023 is paid automatically, with no application. The Portal da Habitação lists these conditions:
- tax residence in Portugal;
- a lease for your main home signed by 15 March 2023 and registered with Finanças;
- household income up to the top of the sixth IRS bracket;
- rent taking 35% or more of income.
It pays between €20 and €200 a month, by the 20th of each month, through Social Security, and the portal says it runs until 31 December 2028, reviewed yearly. Make sure your bank details are up to date on Segurança Social Direta. Porta 65+ is a separate strand for households of any age whose income fell by more than 20%, and for single-parent households.
Bottom line
Check the maximum admitted rent for your Lisbon area before you sign a lease you hope to subsidize, because a rent above that cap rules you out no matter your income. Then apply as soon as the lease is ready, since funding goes to the highest scores first.
FAQ
Does Porta 65 cover rooms in shared flats?
No. gov.pt says room rentals are excluded. Young people sharing a whole flat can apply together if all of them sign the lease.
What if my landlord raises the rent?
Tell IHRU about changes, and check that any increase follows the legal rules; see our guide to the rent increase limit.
How long does the support last?
Each approval lasts 12 months. You can reapply for further periods up to a total of 60 months, with the percentage falling each year.
Do I have to declare the subsidy?
Ask Finanças or an accountant how it affects your IRS in your case. Keep the IHRU payment notices with your tax papers.
