Researcher Launches Portal to Centralize Short-Term Rental Data for Lisbon and Porto
A researcher has created a new platform featuring interactive data and maps that detail the state of 'Alojamento Local' (AL), or short-term rentals, in Lisbon and Porto. The portal, named desALojamento.pt, was developed as a personal research project by João Bernardo Narciso, a researcher at ISCTE — Instituto Universitário de Lisboa and a data scientist. Its stated goal is to contribute to the ongoing public discussion about the short-term rental industry and its connection to the housing crisis in Portugal's two largest cities.
The platform explores critical themes such as the growth rate of AL, its impact on the permanent housing stock, the economic concentration of the activity, and various regulatory strategies being implemented in Portugal and other cities worldwide. In statements to the Lusa news agency, João Bernardo Narciso explained that the project aims to consolidate and present key figures related to the AL market, many of which were already known but remained dispersed across multiple sources. Understanding the regulatory environment is key for investors, and our blog on legal frameworks offers further insights.
The author argues that both Lisbon and Porto must move beyond their current regulatory approach, which he describes as merely 'creating regulations that suspend the registration of new short-term rental licenses in already oversaturated areas.' He stated, 'It makes no sense to limit the registration of new licenses. That's like turning off the tap when the house is already flooded. It is necessary to drain it, to have some kind of measure that returns these houses that are affected by tourism to housing. It's a way to help solve the housing crisis.' This perspective suggests a push for more aggressive policies to reclaim housing stock.
According to data published on the platform, Lisbon currently has approximately 18,500 active AL licenses, while Porto has around 10,500. These numbers have been increasing, demonstrating what the researcher calls an 'exponential expansion' over the last decade with few limitations. The portal highlights how AL registrations have transformed entire neighborhoods, particularly the historic centers, into 'tourist zones, pushing permanent residents to the periphery.' The impact on specific neighborhoods is a crucial factor for property valuation, which is explored in our Neighborhood News section.
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The 'freguesias' (parishes) most affected are identified as Santa Maria Maior and Misericórdia in Lisbon, and Vitória, São Nicolau, and Miragaia in Porto. These are also the areas that recorded the most significant losses in housing and population between the 2011 and 2021 censuses. For instance, in Santa Maria Maior, the ratio of AL units to family homes is 68%, and the parish lost 28% of its housing and 21% of its residents. The situation in Porto's Vitória parish is described as even more severe, with a 71% AL-to-housing ratio, corresponding to a 33% loss of homes and a 37% loss of inhabitants.
Narciso's research also challenges the narrative of AL as a small-scale activity for supplementing family income. The data indicates that it is a 'much more robust economic sector.' For example, only 0.6% of registered ALs are private rooms, with the remainder being entire homes. Furthermore, in Lisbon, nearly 70% of licenses are held by an owner who already possesses other licenses, and approximately half are operated by management companies, pointing to a high degree of commercial concentration. This professionalization of the market is an important consideration for new investors, who may benefit from consulting with English-speaking real estate lawyers.
The project also benchmarks regulatory solutions from other international tourist destinations. Examples cited include the prohibition of AL in certain zones, the non-renewal of licenses in Barcelona, a 90-night annual cap in London, and a host-present requirement in New York. The portal, publicly available at www.desalojamento.pt, is positioned to become a critical resource for a more informed debate on the future of housing and tourism in Portugal.
Discover rental property opportunities and regulations at realestate-lisbon.com.