Short-term rental in Portugal: rules and advice for owners

How the national framework works

In Portugal, short-term letting is called alojamento local (AL). Every unit is entered in the national register (RNAL) through a prior notification filed with the municipality, which has 60 days to object, or 90 days in containment areas. Decree-Law 76/2024 of 23 October 2024 reversed several measures of the 2023 Mais Habitação package: it lifted the nationwide suspension of new registrations in flats, the five-year validity limit and the extraordinary AL levy, and replaced prior condominium authorisation with a right for the condominium to oppose a unit that disturbs residents.

Municipalities hold the pen

Councils may adopt their own AL regulations and draw containment areas (áreas de contenção) where new registrations are restricted and existing ones cannot be freely transferred. A 2026 decree-law gives municipalities with more than 1,000 registrations until 31 December 2026 to decide on a regulation, and allows a single extension of any suspension of new registrations, never beyond that date.

Our Portuguese cities

• Historic centres closed or under quota: Lisbon and Porto, where several central parishes accept no new units and others work with limits.
• Suspensions or tight restrictions reported: Funchal, Sintra and Vila Nova de Gaia; the details are moving and must be checked with the câmara.
• Registration without a moratorium, as far as we have found: Cascais, where a municipal regulation is being prepared, as well as Loulé (including Vilamoura and Quarteira), Faro and Portimão.
• Municipal position not yet confirmed: Braga and Coimbra.

Guests, levies and income

Stays by foreign guests must be reported to the immigration agency AIMA, formerly SEF, through the SIBA system. Lisbon, Porto and a number of other municipalities charge a municipal tourist tax per night. AL income has to be declared in Portugal, including by owners who live abroad, and the EU registration regulation now makes the RNAL number the reference on every platform.

Practical advice

Before signing a deed, ask the câmara whether the parish lies in a containment area and whether the seller's registration would pass to you. Keep relations with the condominium good, because a documented opposition can lead the municipality to cancel a registration. Share the address with us; we study every request and tell you honestly whether and how we can help.