What if a tenant stops paying or someone occupies the home? How eviction works in Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, France, Germany, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Dubai and Thailand, and how to reduce the risk.
For a remote owner, one of the most uncomfortable scenarios is a tenant who stops paying, or strangers who move into an empty home. The fear is that the law favours the occupier and that getting the property back takes years. The picture differs by country, and in several places the honest answer is "it depends on the court and the facts". We give only what we could verify and mark the rest as uncertain. This is a general overview, not legal advice on your case.
What buyers fear
Owners fear three things: a tenant who stops paying but cannot be removed quickly, a squatter (in Spanish, okupa) who occupies an empty home, and costs that pile up while the owner is abroad and cannot attend hearings. Stories in the media about slow cases make the fear larger than the typical experience, but the fear is not baseless: eviction is a court process nearly everywhere.
What the risk really is
Two situations should be kept apart. A tenant who entered legally under a lease and stopped paying is a civil matter: the landlord must usually give notice and obtain a court order or use a legal fast-track. A person who entered without any right (a squatter) is often also a criminal matter, but police can act quickly only in limited circumstances. In almost every legal system the owner may not use self-help: changing locks, cutting utilities or removing belongings can expose the owner to liability, even when the tenant owes rent.
The honest message: timelines vary widely with the court, the facts and whether the tenant contests. We found few official timelines, so we do not promise any.
How it works by country
Spain. Organic Law 1/2025, in force since 3 April 2025, added breach of dwelling (allanamiento de morada) and usurpation (usurpación) to the list of offences that can be tried in the fast-track criminal procedure, as reported by Spanish legal sources. It did not create an automatic 48-hour eviction; the fast-track applies when the case starts with a police report and the conditions of the procedure are met, and an occupation discovered months later by an absent owner may not qualify. Sources say courts should resolve qualifying cases within about 15 days of the case reaching the court. For an unpaid lease the owner normally uses the civil eviction (desahucio) procedure; we did not verify typical durations. Specialist advice on the exact route is essential.
Portugal. Non-payment of rent for two months or more, or late payment of more than eight days more than four times in 12 months, are reported grounds for terminating a lease by notice, followed by the special eviction procedure (procedimento especial de despejo) handled through the Balcão do Arrendatário e do Senhorio. We could not confirm typical timelines to an official source.
Greece. A recent reform (Law 5221) is reported to allow a certified lawyer to issue payment and repossession orders on an accelerated schedule of about 20 days where evidence conditions are met. We found this only in secondary sources and could not verify it on the law text, so confirm the current procedure with a Greek lawyer before relying on it.
Italy. Eviction for non-payment (sfratto per morosità) follows articles 657 and following of the Code of Civil Procedure. Reports say a residential tenant who is at least 20 days late can be taken to the validation procedure (convalida), where the court may grant an enforceable order and an injunction for the arrears; a grace period of up to 90 days from the hearing is reported for residential leases. Actual enforcement by a bailiff can take additional time that we have not verified.
France. The winter truce (trêve hivernale) runs from 1 November to 31 March: evictions cannot be carried out in this period, whatever the reason. The landlord can still sue and obtain an eviction decision, and the commandement de quitter les lieux can be served by a bailiff, but execution waits until the truce ends. See service-public.fr for the current rules.
Germany. A landlord can terminate without notice when the tenant is in arrears of two months' rent (section 543 of the Civil Code); the tenant can cure within two months after service of the eviction action (section 569), which is an important exception. The deposit may be at most three months' net rent (section 551). We did not verify typical durations of the eviction action.
Cyprus. Reported summaries of the Rent Control legislation say that a tenant who delays rent for 21 days after notice allows the landlord to apply for eviction; the tenant then has 14 days to respond with proof of payment, and if it does not, an order is issued to vacate within not less than 90 days. This comes from law-firm summaries and may have been amended, so verify with a Cypriot lawyer.
Bulgaria. Termination for unpaid rent usually requires a written demand with a cure period. Secondary sources say that a lease with notarised signatures can serve as the basis of a court enforcement order under the Civil Procedure Code, bypassing a full trial. We could not confirm this on the legal text, so ask a Bulgarian lawyer or notary how to draft the lease.
UAE (Dubai). Evictions are governed by Law 26 of 2007 as amended by Law 33 of 2008. Reported summaries say that for non-payment the landlord must give a written notice with 30 days to pay or leave, and that eviction for the owner's own use or sale at lease end needs 12 months' notice via notary or registered mail. Disputes go to the Rental Disputes Settlement Centre at the Dubai Land Department; media reported a target of about 30 days for a decision (extendable to 60 in complex cases), but this figure is dated and we did not verify it. See the Dubai Land Department.
Thailand. Reported legal guides say that self-help (locking out, cutting utilities, seizing belongings) is not allowed; a landlord must give written notice (30 days is reported for non-payment), then file a petition for possession in court, and have the judgment enforced by a court officer. The exact notice depends on the lease and law, so ask a Thai lawyer.
How to protect yourself
- Use a written lease in the local language with a translation you understand; specify rent, indexation, deposit, inventory, utilities and the notice procedure. Register the lease where the country requires it.
- Collect the maximum lawful deposit and, where available, a bank guarantee. Check legal limits: in Germany, for example, three months' net rent.
- Screen tenants: income documents, employment, previous landlord reference, ID. Follow local data-protection and anti-discrimination rules.
- Consider rent-guarantee insurance (unpaid rent cover). Such products are reported to exist in several markets, for example Spain and France, but conditions, exclusions and tenant-screening requirements vary; we did not verify each product, so ask a local broker. See home insurance for property abroad.
- Use a local property manager or agent who can act quickly, serve notices and attend hearings; see property management for remote owners.
- Do not leave the property empty without visits and checks; neighbours, the building manager or a security service can alert you early. Keep utilities and the mailbox monitored.
- Never use self-help against an occupier. It can turn the owner into the defendant.
- Do not plan on "guaranteed" rent. See rental income abroad is not passive and guaranteed and rental income tax for EU residents.
- Keep records: lease, payment history, notices sent, photos and messages, as evidence.
When to involve a lawyer or notary
Before renting out, have a local lawyer draft or review the lease and explain the notice route. At the first missed payment, speak to the lawyer, since each country has deadlines and formal notices that must be correct. For squatters, call the police and a lawyer immediately and do not confront the occupants. See also notary or lawyer: who do you need abroad.
FAQ
Can I change the locks if the tenant does not pay? In most legal systems no. Self-help can be unlawful. Use the notice and court route.
How long does eviction take? It varies by country, court and whether the tenant contests. We have not verified average timelines for all of the countries here, so we do not give figures.
Did Spain's 2025 law make evictions of squatters immediate? Reports say it brought breach of dwelling and usurpation into the fast-track criminal procedure, but not an automatic 48-hour eviction, and the conditions must be met.
Does insurance pay for unpaid rent? Some rent-guarantee policies do, with conditions and exclusions. Ask a local broker and read the policy.
Is the landlord responsible for the tenant's bills? Usually not, but unpaid building fees and municipal taxes can be charged to the owner. Check the lease and local rules.
Can a property manager handle all this for me? A manager can handle notices and logistics, but the owner usually remains the party in court; confirm with the lawyer.
How we help
D.H. Realting is a trilingual platform that finds properties and coordinates independent local lawyers and tax advisers. We can help you find a lawyer and a property manager before you rent out. This text is informational and is not legal, tax or investment advice. Eviction law changes and depends on the facts, so verify the current rules with a local lawyer.