Porto plans 10x IMI on empty buildings in the old centre
Porto City Council will propose in its municipal budget that in 2027 the IMI property tax on vacant buildings in the Historic Centre be raised ten times, mayor Pedro Duarte said, as reported by ECO. It has not been voted yet. In an October note the council said it had found 6,400 buildings with signs of being vacant and had written to their owners; the law allows IMI to be raised up to three times, or up to ten times in areas of high housing pressure. In past years the surcharge hit 379 buildings (2022) and 531 (2023).
Why it matters for your move
If you are thinking of buying an old building in central Porto to renovate, ask the seller and the council whether it has been declared vacant (devoluto) and what IMI it pays. A building that stays empty can cost many times more in tax each year, so plan the works and the move-in date before you sign.
This is Re-locant.com’s own brief, written to explain what the update means for people moving to or living in Portugal. For the full original report, see the source below.