Owners of Tourist Rental properties have been rushing to register under the current Alojamento Local scheme before the new rules come into force.
The President already has signed off the amendments to the AL laws, despite serious reservations, which will come into effect in October this year.
AL applications in Lisbon have been running at 34-a-day in recent weeks, more than double the rate a year ago.
In Porto the increase is from 8 to 12-a-day in the last month.
Owners have distinct advantages in getting their applications in before the new law comes into force as the new rules are more restrictive, despite the government claiming it is the friend of small business owners.
The main fear is the planned involvement of local councils which soon will be empowered to create quotas for specific urban areas.
Local mayors will have the power to suspend new AL authorisations for a year in certain areas, to halt the steady mutation of historic city areas into Airbnb zones.
Lisbon plans to suspend new registrations in Alfama, Mouraria and Castelo in an attempt to restrict private enterprise serving the requirements of visitors that the tourist authorities have worked so successfully to attract.
Many landlords of unauthorised short-term rental properties will carry on as normal, working under the radar, avoiding the big lettings sites and using contact details of previous customers to ensure occupancy.
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For property owners seeking information on Alojamento Local compliance, contact the National Association of Local Lodging Establishments at www.nalle.pt and/or ask afpop
