On February 13, 2023, the Câmara Municipal do Porto (Porto’s City Hall) has shared their new proposal for the Alojamento Local Regulations in the city.
Context of the new AL Regulations in the municipality of Porto
In October 2022, the City Council of Porto decided to suspend new Alojamento Local licenses in the historical center area and in the parish of Bonfim, thus encompassing the entire downtown part of the city.
This measure had a set duration of six months, renewable until the new proposal for the regulation was concluded. During this period, the Câmara Municipal do Porto commissioned the Catholic University to carry out a study on the pressure of local accommodation units in each parish, so that a regulation could be created that would allow the city to develop itself while maintaining “good relations with its Tourism” sector, focusing its growth and “sustainable development“.
New Regulation for Local Accommodation in Porto
The regulation proposed in February 2023 intends to classify Porto parishes according to the actual number of dwellings available for housing and local accommodation establishments, separating them into two groups: the “containment areas” for new AL registrations will be the parishes with a pressure equal to or greater than 15%; and the “sustainable development areas” will be the parishes with a pressure not reaching 15%.
In light of the new proposal, the new containment areas encompass all parishes in the historic center (Vitória (with a pressure of 60.5%), São Nicolau (48.3%), Sé (44.1%), Santo Ildefonso ( 38.3%) and Miragaia (21.8%), with the exception of Cedofeita (which registers a pressure of only 9.1%).
Likewise, the parish of Bonfim is now free of restrictions too (currently with 8.1% pressure).
All other parishes in the municipality of Porto do not have any restrictions for new Local Accommodation licenses: Aldoar (0.3%), Campanhã (1%), Foz do Douro (2.6%), Lordelo do Ouro (1.1 %), Massarelos (7.1%), Paranhos (1%), Nevogilde (1%) and Ramalde (0.6%).
Exceptions to the New Porto Local Accommodation Regulation
The councilors of the Porto Chamber defend that the regulations “seek to manage the city as a whole and treat local accommodation as essential” (link in Portuguese), so their goal is not to stop the sector, but to “promote projects that add value to the city”.
For this reason, there are some exceptions for obtaining a Local Accommodation License in the containment areas:
- Construction projects for new buildings or the renovation of buildings that are considered “of special interest to the city”;
- Development projects that promote local business in situations where these take up at least 60% of the ground floor of the building itself, and where at least 20% of the building’s remaining residential area is dedicated to by affordable housing contracts for a minimum of 25 years;
- Construction and renovation projects dedicated to replace or renovate buildings that have been officially classified as rundown for at least 3 years.
Regulation of Local Accommodation in Gaia
In the Porto greater area, and also in 2023 but in January, the Municipality of Gaia decided to suspend, with immediate effect, new AL licenses in a measure that also intends to be temporary until the municipality defines its own regulation for its Alojamento Local sector.
How to obtain the Local Accommodation license
The GuestReady team is also updating our complete guide with all the necessary steps to obtain your local accommodation license in the municipality of Porto to include this change.
If you have any questions, our team of Invicta experts are always available by phone or email.
Renting your property without a Local Accommodation license
If you do not have or are unable to obtain a local accommodation license, there are still several legal options, in addition to the traditional lease, which may interest you. Our team of experts can also advise you.
Comments by Ana Coelho