Within the European Union, the Portuguese middle classes are among those who complain the most about problems with their homes. Complaints range from leaking roofs to damp walls, rotting window frames, a lack of light and noise issues.

According to a study by Expresso newspaper, more than a fifth (21.8 percent) who are not at risk of poverty, complain of water infiltration, citing data from Eurostat. The European average is situated at 11.2 percent, and only in Cyprus is the percentage of people higher when it comes to complaints about roofs and ceilings that let in water and the dampness of the walls.

Despite Portugal being one of the sunniest countries in Europe, it is at the same time one of the countries where people complain most about a lack of light. However it is noise (from neighbours or coming from the street) that is the biggest nuisance for the middle class, giving rise to 22.7 percent of complaints.