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What changes in credit, prices and rules, and what it does to people who are buying. Every figure carries the source it came from.

19 August 2026
The debt-service limit has dropped to 45%. What that takes away from buyers.
The Bank of Portugal has cut the maximum debt-service ratio it recommends to lenders from 50% to 45%, applying from 1 August 2026. For a household with 2,500€ net, the ceiling on the monthly payment falls from 1,250€ to 1,125€: 125€ a month less. Two things the headline leaves out, and they change the reading: it remains a recommendation rather than law, and up to 10% of each bank's new contracts may still exceed the limit.