Short-term letting (AL) in Lagos: can you rent your property to holidaymakers?
Last updated: 2026-10-02
Maybe, and the national rules reopened in late 2024, but it depends on the specific property and the local council. Portugal lifted its freeze on new short-term rental (Alojamento Local) licences on 1 November 2024, so new registrations are allowed again. But each council can restrict new licences in 'containment zones', so you must check the Lagos council and the national register for your exact address before assuming you can let it.
What Alojamento Local (AL) is
Alojamento Local, or AL, is the licence you need to let a property to tourists on a short-term basis, the Airbnb and Booking.com type of letting. Without it, short-term holiday letting is not legal. The property is registered on the national register (RNAL) and must meet safety and other requirements.
The national rules reopened in late 2024
In 2023 the Mais Habitação law froze new AL licences across most of the country. That freeze was reversed by Decree-Law 76/2024, in force from 1 November 2024: new registrations are allowed again, an extra tax on AL was scrapped, and licensing power went back to the local councils. So nationally, the door is open again.
But it comes down to the local council
Each council can now designate 'containment zones' where new AL is restricted or blocked, and set its own rules. On top of that, in an apartment building the owners' assembly can vote to oppose short-term letting on nuisance grounds. So whether you can register a specific property in Lagos for short-term letting is a local question, not a national one.
What to check before you count on letting income
If part of your plan is to let the property to holidaymakers, check it before you buy, not after. Confirm with the Câmara Municipal de Lagos whether the address is in a containment zone, check the national register (RNAL) for any existing licence and whether it transfers, and for an apartment check the building's rules. Do not assume an existing owner's AL licence passes automatically to you. If letting income is central to the purchase, get it confirmed in writing before you commit.
Common questions
Can I rent my property in Lagos to tourists?
Possibly. You need an Alojamento Local (AL) licence, and since 1 November 2024 new licences are allowed again nationally. But Lagos council can restrict new licences in certain zones, so you must check with the câmara and the national register (RNAL) for your specific address before assuming you can let it.
Did Portugal ban new short-term rental licences?
It froze them in 2023, then reversed that freeze with Decree-Law 76/2024 from 1 November 2024. New AL registrations are allowed again nationally, but each council sets its own local rules and can restrict new licences in 'containment zones'.
Does an existing AL licence transfer when I buy the property?
Do not assume it does. Whether an existing licence carries over, and whether a new one can be issued, depends on current rules and the local council. Check with the Câmara Municipal de Lagos and the RNAL before relying on it.
Local expert: This guide references Villas Key - Mediação Imobiliária, Lda, a licensed estate agency in Lagos (AMI 10865).