In Portugal, short-term rental to tourists is called alojamento local (AL), and it runs through a registration rather than a licence in the usual sense. The national framework was tightened in 2023 under the Mais Habitação programme and then partly reversed in 2024, which handed most of the decisions back to municipalities. Lisbon used that power to define containment zones where new registrations are restricted. This guide explains the position in October 2026. It is general information, not legal advice, and the city’s regulation should be checked for a specific address.
| Rule | What applies |
|---|---|
| Registration | AL registration with the municipality; the number must appear on every listing |
| Where | New registrations generally barred in absolute containment zones; conditions in relative zones |
| Tourist tax | €4 per guest per night, up to 7 nights; children under 13 exempt |
| Insurance | Civil liability insurance compulsory |
| Foreign guests | Reported through SIBA within three working days |
The national framework after 2024
Decree-Law 76/2024 undid several of the 2023 measures. It ended the national freeze on new AL registrations for apartments, abolished the extraordinary contribution on AL (CEAL), and removed the rule that registrations would lapse in 2030. In return, municipalities gained the power to regulate AL through their own municipal regulations: to define containment areas, set conditions and limit new registrations where housing pressure is high. Co-ownerships also gained a route to oppose AL in their building under defined conditions.
Registration
An AL is registered by a prior notification to the municipality through the Balcão do Empreendedor, which issues a registration number recorded in the national AL register (RNAL). It is a notification with a deadline rather than a permit: the municipality can oppose it within a set period, which is longer in containment areas. The registration number must be displayed on every listing, and under Regulation (EU) 2024/1028, which applies from 20 May 2026, platforms must check that it is there. The register has been cleaned up since late 2025, with inactive registrations cancelled, so a number that existed a few years ago may no longer be valid.
Lisbon’s containment zones
Lisbon’s municipal regulation on alojamento local (RMAL), amended at the end of 2025, divides the city by the ratio of AL units to permanent dwellings in each parish. Where the ratio is highest, the parish is an absolute containment zone, and new AL registrations are generally not permitted except in narrow cases. Where it is lower but still significant, relative containment applies, and new registrations are possible only under conditions. Most of the historic centre falls in the absolute category. The zones are reviewed periodically, so a parish can move between categories.
Registrations in containment zones are also harder to transfer. For the house and apartment categories, transferring the registration in a containment area generally ends it, so a buyer of an AL apartment in the centre cannot assume the registration comes with the property.
Tourist tax
Lisbon’s municipal tourist tax is €4 per guest per night, for up to seven nights per stay, with children under 13 exempt. Airbnb collects and remits it for its own bookings; for other platforms and direct bookings the operator charges and declares it. The tourist tax calculator handles the per-person model with a night cap.
Duties of an AL operator
Registration is the beginning, not the end. An operator must hold civil liability insurance, keep a complaints book (livro de reclamações), provide basic safety equipment such as a fire extinguisher, a fire blanket and a first-aid kit, and display information for guests. Foreign guests must be reported through the SIBA system within three working days of arrival. Income from AL is generally taxed as business income, and VAT can apply above the exemption threshold, so the accountant should see the same booking figures as the owner statement.
On top of the local rules, Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 has applied since 20 May 2026. It does not cap or ban short-term rentals; it standardises registration where an authority requires it. Every listing must show the unit’s registration number, platforms must check that a number is present and remove listings an authority flags, and platforms send the authority monthly data on nights and guests per listing. The night counts you see in your own records are now the same ones the authority can see. Short-term rental regulations and compliance explains the regulation in more detail.
If you manage for owners in Lisbon
In a containment zone the registration is the most valuable thing the property has, and it belongs to the operator who holds it. Be clear in the management agreement whether the owner or the manager is the registered operator, because that decides who carries the insurance, files the SIBA reports and declares the tourist tax. For each property, record the AL number, the parish and its containment status, the insurance renewal date and the tax arrangement per channel. Vacation rental property management software keeps that record on the property alongside bookings and owner statements.
How Lisbon compares
Amsterdam and Paris cap nights per year, London caps entire-home lets at 90 nights through planning law, and Brussels requires registration and planning compliance. Lisbon has no night cap; it limits how many properties can be used for AL at all.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Rental rules change and vary by jurisdiction; check the current law or consult a local lawyer before acting on it.
Common questions
Can I still get an alojamento local registration in Lisbon?
It depends on the parish. In absolute containment zones, which cover most of the historic centre, new registrations are generally not permitted. In relative containment zones they are possible under conditions, and elsewhere the normal registration applies. Check the current map in the municipal regulation.
Is there a night limit for short-term rentals in Lisbon?
No. Lisbon limits the number of AL registrations through containment zones rather than capping nights per year.
How much is the Lisbon tourist tax?
€4 per guest per night, for up to seven nights per stay. Children under 13 are exempt.
Does an AL registration transfer when I sell the property?
Not automatically. In containment areas, transferring the registration for a house or apartment generally ends it, so a buyer usually has to apply again.
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