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Lease Notice & Early Exit

Notice periods & early exit — the tenant's calendar

When you can leave a lease before it ends, by when the letter must arrive, and what you risk paying if you leave too soon. With the dates worked out from your contract and the Civil Code rules (arts. 1096–1098).

By Elijah · UPDATED JULY 2026 ·5 MIN ·OFFICIAL SOURCES
KEY FACTS
Leaving before the end
Only after 1/3 of the term (art. 1098)
Tenant notice
120 days (≥1 yr) or 60 days (<1 yr)
Blocking renewal
120/90/60 days before the term
How to notify
Registered letter with acknowledgment
A data que consta no contrato assinado.
= 2 anos
A duração inicial escrita no contrato, em meses (ex.: 12, 24, 36).
Sair antes do fim Não renovar (oposição) Senhorio não quer renovar
DATA MAIS CEDO DE SAÍDA
—
Introduza a data de início do contrato.

How this works

Leaving a Portuguese lease follows a calendar, not a whim. Tell us when the contract started, the initial term and what you want to do — leave early, block renewal, or see what the landlord can do — and the tool finds the period you are in (initial or renewal), the earliest date you can lawfully leave, and the deadline to deliver the notice by registered letter. Every rule comes from articles 1096 to 1098 of the Civil Code, as in force in 2026.

  1. 1
    Start date and initial term
    From the start and the term we work out whether you are still in the initial term or already in a renewal. By law, a lease under 3 years renews in 3-year periods.
  2. 2
    Choose what you want to do
    Leave early (denúncia), stop it renewing (opposition), or see what the landlord would have to do to not renew. Each option has its own notice periods.
  3. 3
    The 1/3 rule and the notice
    To leave before the end, 1/3 of the current term must have passed and you must give 120 days (term ≥ 1 year) or 60 days (< 1 year) notice.
  4. 4
    Read the dates and send the letter in time
    The tool shows the earliest exit date and the deadline for the registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt to reach the landlord. Send it with room to spare.

Frequently asked

What is the "1/3 rule" for leaving a lease?
It is the rule in article 1098(3) of the Civil Code. In a fixed-term lease, the tenant can only give notice to leave early (denúncia) once one-third of the current term has elapsed — of the initial term, or of the renewal you are in. Before that point you generally have no free right to exit. After 1/3, you can leave at any time, giving the required minimum notice. Example: on a 3-year lease, the first third is 12 months; after that you can leave, giving notice.
My contract says "120 days notice and only after 1/3 of the term". Is that right?
Yes — that is the law restated in your contract. Once 1/3 of the term has passed, a tenant who wants to leave must give at least 120 days notice before the intended end if the contract term is 1 year or more, or 60 days if it is under 1 year (art. 1098(3)). The termination takes effect at the end of a calendar month. These are legal minimums: a contract may set different periods, but it cannot take away your right to leave after 1/3.
What if I leave earlier — before 1/3 or without full notice?
Leaving still happens, but it costs. Article 1098(6) says failing to give the required notice obliges you to pay the rents for the missing notice period. If you leave before you even have the right (before 1/3), you risk owing rent up to the point where leaving would have been lawful. There are exceptions where you pay nothing: involuntary unemployment, permanent incapacity for work, or the death of the tenant or of someone who has lived with you in a shared household for over a year. Otherwise, negotiate the exit in writing with the landlord.
How do I block the automatic renewal at the end?
If you do not want to leave now but also do not want the lease to renew, you file an "opposition to renewal" (art. 1098(1)). You must notify the landlord, by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt, with minimum notice before the term: 120 days if the term is 6 years or more, 90 days for 1 to 6 years, 60 days for 6 months to 1 year. Miss the deadline and the lease renews — you can then only stop the next renewal. Note: by law a lease with a term under 3 years renews for 3 years (art. 1096).
Can the landlord force me out at the end of the term?
They can oppose the renewal, but with far more notice and a safeguard. The landlord must give 240 days (term ≥ 6 years), 120 days (1 to 6 years) or 60 days (6 months to 1 year) notice (art. 1097). And there is an important protection: in residential leases signed after February 2019, the landlord’s opposition to the first renewal only takes effect 3 years after signing — meaning you are entitled to stay at least 3 years (art. 1097(3)), unless they need the home for themselves or their children.
Must my deposit be returned when I leave?
Yes, if there is no unpaid rent and no damage beyond normal wear. The deposit is a guarantee, not an extra payment. A practical point that causes much confusion: if the contract is not registered with the tax authority or there are no rent receipts, you have less evidence in a dispute — register everything and keep receipts. Photograph the home moving in and out. See our deposit & rent tool for the legal limits.
OFFICIAL SOURCES
DISCLAIMER
This tool is an informative simulation, not legal advice. It does the arithmetic from articles 1096 to 1098 of the Civil Code and the data you enter; your contract may set different notice or renewal periods (which prevail, within the law), and NRAU transitional regimes and pre-1990 contracts have their own rules not modelled here. The rules may have changed since JULY 2026. Confirm your case with DECO, a lawyer or a solicitor before acting.