Alojamento Local guide · Portugal
Stay AL compliant without living between PDFs, portals and loose sheets of paper
Alojamento Local (AL) is Portugal’s short-term rental licensing regime, and it asks for attention on four fronts: your Câmara Municipal (the local council), your guests, your documents and your official reporting. This guide turns that into a routine: confirm, collect, file, archive.
Expected outcome
A workspace that shows your next step, not another list to decode.
Every property carries its own tasks, history and evidence. You know what is outstanding before a guest arrives, and what was handled after each submission.
The aim is to cut down on operational slips, not to replace official sources or professional advice.
Recommended process
The routine that keeps an AL compliant
Confirm where the property stands
Check the AL registration number, the address, the council and any zone-specific rules before you accept bookings.
Prepare documents and evidence
Keep receipts, emergency contacts, the guest information book and your operational documents in one archive.
Collect guest data on time
Ask for the essential details before arrival and fill any gaps early, so you are never preparing official files in a rush.
Generate and archive the SIBA report
Once the details are confirmed, generate the file for SIBA — the guest reporting system run by the UCFE, inside the Sistema de Segurança Interna — and keep proof of submission in the property history.
Do a monthly review
Sweep through open items, expired documents and recurring tasks, so nothing rests on memory or a loose sheet of paper.
Rules in force
What changed for AL in 2024–2026
Content reviewed on 23 August 2026, based on the decrees cited. Always confirm the official source before deciding.
DL 76/2024: no expiry, no renewal
It revoked registration expiry and renewals and the blanket freeze on new registrations; registrations are transferable again. A condominium can oppose an AL with over 50% of the building share, after mediation. The CEAL levy was not abolished by this decree: that was done by Decree-Law 57/2024 of 10 September, with effect as at 31 December 2023.
DL 151/2026: council decision by 31-12-2026
Councils that had passed a thousand registered establishments by 31 December 2025 have until 31 December 2026 to resolve on drawing up or amending their AL regulation — to resolve, not to have the regulation in force. A suspension of new registrations may be extended exceptionally and once only, never beyond that date.
Lisbon (RMAL): containment zones
In containment zones (ratio of 10% or more) no new registrations are issued, and selling the property extinguishes the existing registration. Always check the parish on the Lisbon council portal.
Mandatory insurance: at least €75,000 of cover
Portaria 248/2021 requires civil liability insurance of at least €75,000, with up-to-date proof filed via gov.pt. In February 2026 Lisbon cancelled 6,765 registrations, mostly over missing proof.
SIBA: 3 working days, EU citizens included
Foreign guests are reported at siba.ssi.gov.pt (now under the UCFE, inside the internal security system) within 3 working days of check-in, and again within 3 working days of check-out. Under article 203 of Law 23/2007 the fine is banded by how many bulletins are missing: €100–500 (1 to 10), €200–900 (11 to 50) and €400–2,000 (more than 51); merely negligent lateness cuts both limits to a quarter.
Tax and INE: 6% VAT, €15,000 exemption, monthly IPHH
DL 35/2025 raised the article 53 VAT exemption to €15,000; accommodation is at the reduced 6% rate and invoicing must use certified software. The monthly INE survey (WebInq) is due by day 10, zero months included.
When to use ALocal
Use it when you run one property or several and want a straight answer on what is ready, what still needs confirming and which evidence is already filed.
It earns its keep fastest with frequent check-ins, an external cleaning or management team, or any duty to prove that every step was handled.
What hosts search for
Frequently asked questions
Does ALocal replace a lawyer or an accountant?
No. ALocal organizes your routine and points you to the official sources, but any legal, tax or council decision has to be confirmed with the competent service or a professional adviser.
Do I always need to report guests through SIBA?
Reporting foreign guests is a routine obligation for an AL. The host remains responsible for confirming which rule applies and which official portal is in force before sending any data.
What is the first step to get started?
Create the account, add your first property, confirm its core details, then let the workspace checklist turn scattered obligations into a simple routine.
Next step
Start with one property and one checklist.
From there you can add more properties, guests, receipts and recurring tasks.