Portugal Alojamento Local registration (RNAL) in 2026: what changed and what your listings must show

Updated 8 November 2026

In Portugal, anyone renting a house, an apartment or rooms to tourists needs an Alojamento Local registration number (RNAL). Hotels and other tourism developments have their own register, the RNET. This guide sums up the rules in force in November 2026, with the official sources at the end. It is not legal advice: for a specific case, ask your municipality (câmara municipal) or your accountant.

What changed since 2024

The base law is Decree-Law 128/2014, amended by Decree-Law 76/2024, in force since 1 November 2024. According to Turismo de Portugal, the amendment reversed much of the Mais Habitação housing package:

The suspension of new registrations for apartments and guesthouses ended.
Registrations no longer expire after 5 years.
Condominium authorisation is no longer needed, except for hostels.
The extraordinary contribution on short-term rentals (CEAL) was revoked by Decree-Law 57/2024, effective 31 December 2024.
Municipalities can now regulate short-term rentals and define containment and sustainable-growth areas.

How to get the number

Registration is a prior notice with a waiting period, addressed to the mayor of the municipality, filed through the Balcão Único Eletrónico (ePortugal) or at a municipal counter. The main steps:

The notice includes, among other details, the building's authorisation of use, the holder's tax number (NIF), the property's name and address, its capacity and an emergency contact.
The municipality may object within 60 days, or 90 days in containment areas, and inspects the property in that period. With no objection, the registration number is assigned.
The document issued by the Balcão Único Eletrónico with the registration number is the only valid licence to open to the public.
Before starting, you must submit proof of civil-liability insurance.
We found no national registration fee (Turismo de Portugal's 2015 FAQ says the notice is exempt), but check whether your municipality charges for the inspection.

Where the number must appear

Article 17 of the regime says advertising, commercial documents and merchandising must show the property's name or logo and its registration number. Offering, advertising or intermediating an unregistered property, or one with outdated details, is forbidden, and Turismo de Portugal says platforms must require and display the number. Since 20 May 2026, EU Regulation 2024/1028 also applies: platforms must check that the host has provided a registration number before the listing goes live.

Put the number on your website, next to the property's name.
Make sure it is the same on Booking, Airbnb and every other platform.
Also display the identification plaque at the entrance, as Article 18 requires.

Fines

According to Turismo de Portugal's technical guide (January 2025), advertising an unregistered property is a serious offence, with fines of 650 to 1,500 euros for individuals and 1,700 to 24,000 euros for companies. Leaving the number out of advertising is a minor offence: 150 to 500 euros for individuals and 250 to 12,000 euros for companies. Additional sanctions, such as closure for up to 2 years, are possible.

Algarve municipalities and containment areas

Each municipality can now have its own short-term rental regulation. Decree-Law 151/2026 requires municipalities with more than 1,000 registrations at the end of 2025 to decide by 31 December 2026 whether to regulate, and lets them extend a suspension of new registrations until that date. In the Algarve, Lagoa suspended new registrations in its urban regeneration areas in September 2025 and put a regulation with containment and growth areas out for public consultation in January 2026. Before registering a new property, check your municipality's website.

What about hotels? The RNET

Hotels, tourist apartments, manor-house and rural tourism and other tourism developments are not Alojamento Local. They register in the National Register of Tourism Developments (RNET) within 30 days of obtaining their opening licence, and the RNET number must appear on the plaque and on online platforms.

Other obligations to keep up to date

Besides registration:

Report foreign guests (anyone without Portuguese nationality) through SIBA within 3 working days of arrival and of departure.
Keep a physical and an electronic complaints book, with a visible link on your website.
Civil-liability insurance of at least 75,000 euros per claim and, in buildings under horizontal property, fire insurance.
Report changes to your details or the end of the activity within 10 days.

Why this also matters for AI

When a traveller asks ChatGPT or Gemini about a place to stay in the Algarve, the AI cross-checks what it finds online. A registration number that matches on your website, on the platforms and in Turismo de Portugal's public RNT search is a clear sign that the property is real and legal. If one site shows a number and another shows none, the AI has fewer reasons to trust your details. You can check your registration in the public RNAL search.

How iQuota helps

The official page iQuota publishes for each property shows its registration number and includes it in the structured data search engines read. It does not replace any legal procedure, and we cannot guarantee that an AI will recommend you.

Want an official page with your registration number and direct booking? The first 30 hotels join free until 30 June 2027.

See the Founding Hotels programme

Frequently asked questions

Does Alojamento Local registration cost anything?

We found no national fee: Turismo de Portugal's FAQ says the prior notice is exempt. Some municipalities may charge for the inspection, so check with yours.

How long does it take to get the number?

The municipality has 60 days to object, or 90 in containment areas. With no objection, the number is assigned at the end of that period.

Can platforms remove my listing?

Yes. Portuguese law forbids advertising unregistered properties and, since May 2026, the EU regulation requires platforms to ask for the number before publishing.

Does a hotel need an RNAL number?

No. Hotels and tourism developments use their RNET number, which must also appear on platforms.

Sources

More guides for hotels

More guides for hotels →

Português