Food and business inspectorate, ASAE, has been visiting Alojamento Local (AL) tourist rental premises after cross-checking them with rental websites.
One such establishment has been suspended for "non-performance of water quality tests and not subjecting distributed water to a disinfection process."
In all, 30 rental properties were issued with offence notices, after 142 operators were inspected, due to "breaches of the rules of identification and publicity of local accommodation establishments, failure to comply with the security requirements and lack of signage within the premises," reported ASAE.
Since July 3, 2017, ASAE has been inspecting rental operations, gathering names from short-term rental websites and general tourist accommodation sites. These have been cross-checked with information held on the Alojamento Local registry and the National Tourism Registry.
These inspections have used the new law for the Installation, Operation and Operation of Tourist Enterprises (RJET), which means that from July 1st, 2017 it has been mandatory to be registered as an AL business and to add the AL number to website advertising.
"ASAE, within the scope of its powers of supervision of the local accommodation activity and, taking into account the creation of specialised teams working in this sector, had boosted its inspections taking into account the increasing market for this type of business, both on site and by analysing websites," ASAE said.
Since July this year, websites advertising local accommodation or rooms for rent face fines of up to €32,500 if they do not show the AL number on their accommodation listings.
The owners of the properties already faced fines for not having registered as an AL business, but the websites now can be fined as well.
The newly created post of Secretary of State for Housing was awarded to Ana Pinto who, at the head of a long line of failed decision makers, is expected to do little to change a short term rental regulatory system that is heavy on punishment and light on common sense.
__________
For property owners looking to go legitimate, contact the National Association of Local Lodging Establishments at www.nalle.pt and/or ask afpop for information.
