Extending clothing with the window is an ordinary gesture, but drying the clothes like this can result in a fine in certain areas of Portugal. In the historical areas of cities such as Lisbon, Porto or Évora, municipal regulations are strict about the exposure of elements that can change the urban image, and extended clothing is one of the most targeted situations.
According to the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage, the drying of clothes visibly from the public road is advised against in classified areas, especially in special protection zones or inserted in historical centers. The regulations in force allow the application of fines whenever the exterior of the buildings is used in a manner considered “improper” or that compromises the “architectural image” of the surroundings.
Extending can be expensive
The situation has been generating controversy mainly in neighborhoods such as Alfama, Castelo and Mouraria, where many Lisboners still reside and where the practice of drying clothes at the window is part of the local landscape. Notifications have already occurred to residents who kept cash in open windows, even when the Estendal was within the private space.
Fines between 50 and 250 euros can be applied, according to the stipulated in municipal postures. The recurrence, or the location of the property in areas with additional heritage protection, can lead to a aggravation of the fines, exceeding 500 euros in some cases.
Habitual practice, variable rules
In special protection zones no change or disturbance of the facade that compromises the equity value of the building or street is allowed. The visibility of clothing is, in these cases, considered an element of aesthetic interference.
In Porto, there have been similar reports in the Sé and Ribeira area. Local press has reported cases where local accommodation management companies will have pressed residents not to expose clothes to the window, alleged “devaluation of the property”. In Évora, the Urban Rehabilitation Regulation includes provisions that discourage the use of façades for visible domestic abroad.
The conflict between use and heritage
The cameras often apply a warning first, but can advance to sanction if the situation remains. Still, the practice is not illegal throughout the country. Outside the classified zones or specific regulations, drying clothes at the window continues to be tolerated, although it can generate conflicts between neighbors, especially in buildings with more demanding condominium regulations.
According to, municipalities should ensure that the daily use of buildings does not collide with the historical values they seek to preserve. But in many cases, the line between what is considered “normal domestic uses” and “visual assault on heritage” remains terminated.
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