Applications for guest house licences skyrocket

 In Local Accommodation, News, Tourism

Since the Government announced its Housing Package on March 16, with restrictive rules on guest houses for tourists in Lisbon and Porto and other cities, applications for licences have quadrupled in the capital in just three weeks.

58 applications have been filed at Lisbon City Council to operate guest houses for tourists (called Local Accommodation in Portugal). At the end of 2022, the monthly number was between 8 and 13.
The Government has announced the suspension of all new licences in urban areas until December 31, 2030.
Lisbon City Council says that since the Governments ‘More Housing’ measures were announced on February 16, there has been a significant number of applications for new licences for guest houses; 58 applications between February 16 and March 7.
The Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas told ECO that there had already been an uptick in applications before the announcement. And these had risen “when the restrictions and limitations on local accommodation in Lisbon were publicly announced.”
Since the end of 2021, Lisbon City Council had already been applying measures to reduce local accommodation licences, particularly in the historic areas of the capital, and changes to municipal regulations on guest houses for tourists are already being discussed. Locals claim that guest houses have pushed out the Portuguese, pushed up house prices, and have spoilt traditional Lisbon neighbourhoods. Business and allied associations argue that LA has resulted in rundown neighbourhoods being done up, and more tourism and revenues from tourism for Lisbon’s shops, cafés, restaurants, and hotels, and clubs, as well as bringing in €2 per visitor per night in tourism tax.