The number of short-term holiday rental properties now registered in Portugal increased from 26,151 in 2016 to 51,014 by the end of 2017 - an increase of 85%.
The number of beds this represents went from 101,841 to 205,261, a 102% increase.
Most of these new registrations are in the Lisbon area which now accounts for nearly as many units as there are in the traditional tourist region of the Algarve.
At the end of 2016, Lisbon only had 4% of the total number of Alojamento Local properties in the country, but by the end of 2017 the capital accounted for 29%.
As of July 2017, amendments were introduced to the Legal Regime for the Installation, Operation and Operation of Tourist Properties, which do not allow tourist lets in any property that does not have an Alojamento Local registration number.
Online booking sites, such as Airbnb, now have to list the AL numbers of the property or it faces heavy fines, as do the owners.
Despite this, at least as many unregistered owners of short-term tourist rental properties continue to operate below the regulatory radar due, many of them claim, to the difficulty involved in according with the AL criteria and the complication of dealing with Social Security, Finanças, SEF and local councils.
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For property owners looking for information on Alojamento Local compliance, contact the National Association of Local Lodging Establishments at www.nalle.pt and/or ask afpop
