Hello, 

 

As an active member of the Alojamento Local community in Portugal, it is important that you know that the Government of Portugal’s Mais Habitaçao Law Package will probably be approved soon by the national Parliament. This law, if finally approved, will have a strong impact in all the Alojamento Local units of the country, making the activity more difficult, expensive and complicated for your customers. Although the law was vetoed by the President of Republic because it was not fit for purpose, according to his analysis, the Portuguese government has publicly showed its intention to pass it without any change in the coming weeks.

 

Unfortunately, despite the benefits, jobs and revenue that Alojamento Local brings year after year to every corner of Portugal, this law will soon be a reality if the Government does not change its mind. We would like to make you know that you, as a citizen, company, entrepreneur or family, can take action to try to change this situation. It is your right to urge your local Member of the Parliament to open up the legislative process in the Parliament again. If you make this happen, the Parliament will be able to listen to what the Alojamento Local community thinks and to make changes in the law so that it does not hamper the AL activity, and, as a consequence, the future of Portugal as a leading tourism destination.   

 

Let your voice be heard for the future of Alojamento Local and Portugal! You will find http://link.homeaway.com/ls/click?upn=Z9K7J-2FSM24ZqC0y-2FZI7U5xI86GHAQ3gZLeu7V1FW4ZGHzSlYAJIPDBhK3VmXZYtj8yMkmLJUszDLYRK335yibZEMpkpOJNqeY0k5ftEXYCM-3D8eGx_NDDMTZFD1Ok0bn9hkVsibOcsBPQKPn5l1ZH1LDvkQyla0eh3l01qFmUculDhuL2g1qzFsCfOUWxk9jjBrg0gtc8x2maOFbLTvvJX024sPB7xxl0IGLcYo9yntKUxrJ2oj8UTcaAal9oXvp8hhGEEAevZu4RgURymg8yB5SMGCNm8uWHhwFMSrY7nc-2F6Xyj3Wm4F8aYcLczr0V1vFd5UVYf-2FFkLmSesiVRKaSQZoGrottjqRCsTrJSNu0XtAmk6r4J4cJj-2BqJUqAHDY9A-2FLkB6iDAaGmXIqxdLfjIQw3oLNueb2VHfDDk2LaTtOvHyvM7cynhzTmtfyyB3OW9liea8g-3D-3D" rel="nofollow - - Click here to find MP contact information and you can reach out to the political groups through the contact details http://link.homeaway.com/ls/click?upn=Z9K7J-2FSM24ZqC0y-2FZI7U5xI86GHAQ3gZLeu7V1FW4ZF6uVJiHFiZfiVe5KHL7-2FXXE0WK0lBzhr5EdPWrVi4YJQ-3D-3D5to2_NDDMTZFD1Ok0bn9hkVsibOcsBPQKPn5l1ZH1LDvkQyla0eh3l01qFmUculDhuL2g1qzFsCfOUWxk9jjBrg0gtc8x2maOFbLTvvJX024sPB7xxl0IGLcYo9yntKUxrJ2oj8UTcaAal9oXvp8hhGEEAevZu4RgURymg8yB5SMGCNm8uWHhwFMSrY7nc-2F6Xyj3Wwjr9FLs5kUZfYk5-2F04c0pRcXGpYAWPNod1d0RHVpB-2BdXGI0iBGqJLgEx2hDBWZ99sdwQSMNydMflUpFe0LXtBf3PNT3wtpH1WtqmcCMMOvQbkS1J31Aj1uKC5ag5sY384tUnDSg3FMchluLqaEMCGg-3D-3D" rel="nofollow -  

This has been on the cards for quite a while. There is growing concern in many cities and towns about the number of even small properties being rented out to tourists for €1,000 or more a week rather than being occupied by working people at a much lower price. Some local councils have already banned the issue of more AL licences. In my block of seven small apartments, two are exclusively tourist rentals and one is a holiday home owned by a couple from the UK. In many the ratio is higher.

It's all very well coming on holiday and going Airbnb, VRBO etc, but wher are the people who work in the restaurants and bars going to live when they might earn only €300 a week?

There is also concern in some areas about noise and disruption to civic life caused by tourists who are only there for two weeks and simply don't care that people who work do actually wish to sleep while they are partying until 5am

mrandyd wrote: It’s an almost impossible balance between locals and holiday makers.

This is true. Local councils cannot afford to build 'affordable' housing when property developers are prepared to pay a much higher price for the plot of land. Profit takes preference over altruism. All around me are new apartment blocks and houses priced way out of the reach of the average resident.

The holidaymakers and second home owners are among the first to complain when service at the restaurant is slow because they are short of staff.

I am sure they could try, as they do in other countries, but how do you define 'affordable'?

How would local councils fund such plans?

Anyway, can't have workers on minimum wage mixing with the affluent visitors.

Luckily there are apartments that cannot be tourist rentals for various reasons over and above any legislation.

Cynical, moi?    

There is A LOT of non-registered 'tourist' apartments. In my building alone there are several AL and twice as much illegal ones. I am surprised that legitimate AL owners didn't organize this long to report illegal ones. Having better taxes than long term lease contracts and turning blind eye to the illegal 'colleagues' at the same time seems odd.

Current AL taxes (6%, right?) are (were?) very much stimulating any apartment to turn to AL instead of long term lease, where taxes start at 28% and can drop to 10% with unlimited contract. Can't say it was fair market to start with.

I can understand how low AL taxes could drive apartment sales in the past years, bit Machiavellian if it was intentional.

If you suspect apartment owners in your block are illegally renting to tourists, alert condominium management. If a tourist sets fire to the place, it is highly likely that any insurance would not cover it. Have the owner of said apartment dealt with.

Buying homes to rent is not confined to Portugal, although I read yesterday that tens of thousands of buy to let properties in UK are for sale as owners wish to avoid the crippling costs on the horizon for the mandatory replacement of gas boilers etc.

I did exactly that and condominium management decided to "check" and "determine that nice couple lives there". It was a complete lie since up to eight people slept every night in small T1, in different configurations. Condominium management basically covered for the apartment owner. I had to activate my lawyers who threatened apartment owner with the lawsuit before more problematic "tourists" stopped arriving. Now, not with much less noise, this or that couple stays for 15-30 days, which is again illegal AL. Using the lawyers is efficient but costly so I am not trigger happy to do it again.

This building is supposedly one of the fanciest in the vicinity of the bullring, so things like this should not happen. However (no generalization intended) last years several apartments changed hands and went to the French-Portuguese owners, who rent in a who-the-hell-cares-about-laws mode. At the same time there are at least 2-3 British owners who have proper AL apartments, are (I am 99% sure) aware of this illegal AL apartments, but from whatever reason they don't do anything to prevent unfair competition. From this location, illegal AL is not an exception, it is the majority of "business".

There is a big difference between renting to a permanent tenant and a holiday let though, Tom. I think the idiot in charge of the UK has kicked the can down the road as far as boilers are concerned, hasn't he?   

Some might say better the devil you know....UK politics have no place here.

As regards Portuguese politics and regulations one must ask how easy have the Portuguese made things for those wishing to legitimately rent properties which are effectively their life savings and pension?

I have found the regulations so obstructive and over powering that I have now opted out. I know that leaves a property mostly uninhabited for a large part of the year but it's mine, I bought it with hard earned cash and I can do as I please.

I certainly didn't buy it as some socialist project to help others or the Portuguese government. I pay the taxes, utilities and all other costs, I pay my taxes, contribute to the Portuguese government, don't use Uber, Bolt or TVDE and don't claim anything from the Portuguese so I term myself as a net + to Portugal.

Sadly I know of many who do not fit that bill, rape and pillage the country for every cent they can, avoid taxes, facilitate unregistered and uninsured airport transfers and still expect the best of standards when they visit or live here.

The two simply don't align.