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Are you aware, of the compliance in the Portuguese law, that refers to the “Licença de Utilizaçao Turistica” requirement? comfortandmore can now manage the applications for you, i.e. all necessary paperwork, drafting of a project by a licensed architect, inspection, refurbishments, if required, will be carried out by reputable construction company, with owners approval. The cost of the realization project is dependant on the property. Let your investment pay back period be increased by the income generated from the rentals of your licensed property. The Inspectorate (Inspecçao Geral das Actividades Económicas, IGAE) is clamping down on agencies and private villa owners who are renting out their properties to holidaymakers without holding the requisite “Licença de Utilizaçao Turistica”. Legislation was brought in in 1997 (law 34/97) to ensure properties meet health and safety standards, provide a range of certain essential features and conform to a list of detailed criteria. All properties must hold a “Licença de Habitaçao” before they can be lived in. Properties that are rented out to tourists must be licensed for tourism purposes. The legislation in force however has a very complex nature and the bureaucracy involved to obtain the “Licença de Utilizaçao Turistica” is causing much frustration. Private owners or managers, who rent their properties only for a few weeks per year without using intermediaries or advertising and without offering tourism services and facilities, do not have to comply with these legal requirements – they are submitted to a general lease law, known as Regime de Arrendamento Urbano (RAU). Regarding villas and apartments, according to the law, they must comply with some infrastructure requirements, such as the sanitation network, waste collection systems and drinking water supply network, whether they are private or public. Other security and quality conditions are also set out, such as the number of beds per room or the composition of the property, namely toilet, kitchen and swimming pool requirements. Water and electricity supplies must be included in the price and other services like hygiene and cleaning, must under some circumstances, be provided by skilled personnel. If all the relevant requirements are met, the letting of privately owned or managed villas and apartments must be licensed according to the law 167/97. The applicant must engage an architect who will draft a project of the property, including all the necessary changes made to meet the tourism requirements. Afterwards, one must submit the project together with the modification request of the usage purpose to the city council´s department of urbanism, project section. Within 30 days of the request, the city council must proceed with an inspection (vistoria) of the property. If the request and the project have been approved, the city council´s economical activities department will issue the license for the usage with tourism purposes. |
