Temporary lease

What is local accommodation?

This is called the local accommodation establishment to provide temporary or short services - term lease, in most cases the tourists, remuneration which does not meet the requirements and conditions to be considered tourist resort. It is also necessary to meet the legal requirements to be considered local accommodation.

Local accommodation must also belong to one of the following:  

• Home;
• Apartment;
• Hosting establishment.

Any establishment other than a tourist resort, such as a villa, apartment or lodging establishment, is part of the temporary short-term rental and framed in the local accommodation.

If you are living in the property and rent only one room, for example, this is also considered temporary or short term rental. If there is remuneration, it is mandatory to register it.

Want to rent the property temporarily?

If you want to lease your property with the temporary rental mode for tourism purposes, you must register the property before communicating to the Entrepreneur's Desk. This information is required by the Entrepreneur's Desk and is required to operate the property as local accommodation. Remember that if you rent a room in your home or apartment, for example, (or provide any other temporary accommodation service for a fee), it falls under the category of local accommodation and you therefore need to register your property.

What are the obligations of the temporary leasing owner?

The owner who opts for temporary lease has several obligations to the tourists he receives. Therefore, the property to rent should have the following characteristics, which can be searched on the Tourism of Portugal website:

1. Must have access to the public water supply or have a private controlled supply system;  
2. It must be connected to the public sewage system;
3. Must have cold and hot water;
4. Must always have the best conditions of hygiene and cleanliness;
5. Must have a local accommodation nameplate if it is a hosting establishment;  
6. Complaint books are required in each of the local accommodation establishments;
7. If the property has a capacity of more than 10 individuals, it must follow fire safety rules as per the law;
8. If the property has a capacity of less than 10 people, it must have first aid equipment, a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket accessible to users, and the national emergency number 112 - clearly visible;
9. It must have a system that allows to seal the entrance of light from outside;
10. Have a system in the bathroom that ensures privacy for users;
11. Be adequately furnished and with the necessary utensils;
12. Have a window to the outside to ensure ventilation conditions;
13. Have doors with security system to ensure the privacy and security of users.

Required Documents for Temporary Lease

The information and documents required for the temporary lease are recorded in Decree Law. The document issued by the Entrepreneur's Desk contains a registration number of the local accommodation establishment and allows the accommodation to be opened to the public.

For temporary lease you should start providing accommodation services in person in finance or on the finance website as a natural or legal person. Business starts with CAE55201 (furnished accommodation for tourists) or CAE55204 (other short-term accommodation) and activates the option for intra-community acquisitions if you rent your property through foreign sites such as Airbnb, Booking, and more.

When it is necessary to change the data you must communicate within 10 days of its occurrence. If the activity ceases, it must be notified within 60 days of its occurrence.