Airbnb offers the Portuguese government and the cities of Lisbon and Porto its support to foster sustainable travel and preserve local communities

Airbnb has welcomed the new tourism decree in Portugal that ends the disproportionate measures of the so-called Mais Habitação (housing law) programme launched in 2023. The new framework strengthens municipalities’ powers and unlocks the possibility for families and many cities in Portugal to keep benefiting from tourism and provide guests with an affordable solution to travel. 

Airbnb is open to work with local authorities on proportional tiered rules that take into account the needs of each municipality – or even each neighborhood -. Airbnb has also offered Lisbon and Porto its collaboration to draft new rules that protect local occasional hosts and preserve local communities, avoiding a one-size-fits-all solution and considering the needs of each district or neighborhood. Airbnb believes cities should have the data they need to disincentive speculation and ensure dedicated rentals are not competing with long term housing. Even the Porto mayor considered Airbnb as a positive influence to the city.

In a city like Lisbon, only six of the 24 parishes have a density of active Airbnb listings above 3%. While in Porto, seven out of nine parishes have a STR density versus total homes below that 3%. In both cities, almost 7 out 10 of Airbnb hosts list one single home¹. Furthermore dedicated listings² on Airbnb, homes which are shared more than the typical listing, accounted for less than 2% of all formal housing units in Lisbon and just 2,2% in Porto.

Airbnb is determined to help providing cities with solutions that can support sustainable travel by:

• Boosting effective collaboration with governments sharing data within the framework of the new EU rules.
• Protect occasional hosting that allows locals to benefit from tourism: Regulation should be proportional to the level of intensity of the activity, protecting the rights of Portuguese to occasionally rent the place they live, in full or part of the year.
• Working with national and regional DMOs, as well as with cities tourism authorities to encourage the geographic dispersion outside of popular sites and seasons.

Sara Rodríguez, Head of Policy for Spain and Portugal said: “In Lisbon, more than 8 out 10 hosts say hosting on Airbnb allows them to meet the rising cost of living. Airbnb believes that a national registration system, together with data sharing with authorities, are key instruments to provide local authorities the transparency they need to better understand the impact of short-term rental activity. We look forward to working with the Portuguese and local governments on the adoption of upcoming EU data sharing rules that can help inform targeted policy interventions where there is a clear need. Together a sustainable tourism future for Portugal can be possible.”

Portugal, and the recent cases of New York or Scotland serve as an important example of how STR legislations that don’t take into consideration the local reality or they are used as the sole lever to correct housing imbalances, have proven to be ineffective addressing housing issues while negatively impacting the local economy. Meanwhile, the economic impact of home sharing in Portugal is significant, contributing to the growth of depopulated regions and municipalities, the renovation of many city centers, supporting local heritage and the financial sustainability of families. 

• In 2023, guests on the platform in Portugal spent an average of 116 euros per day, generating 2.4 billion euros in revenue and 1.1 billion euros in taxes. 
• Travel on Airbnb supported approximately 55,000 jobs in Portugal, in sectors such as restaurants, local businesses, entertainment and events. 
• Airbnb collected and remitted 63,3 million euros in tourist taxes in Porto and Lisbon since 2018
• For many hosts, the earnings are an essential cushion against the rising cost of living and help pay for their own homes:
  • Hosts keep the majority of what they charge for their listing and help keep that money in their local communities. 
  • The majority of local hosts – almost than 7 in 10 – share a space and 65% say that hosting through Airbnb is not their main occupation³. Over half say the income from Airbnb platform helps them to stay in their homes.
• Listings are located in a wide range of neighborhoods including those that historically have not reaped the economic benefits from tourism. In Portugal, over 40% guests⁴ say they would probably have not visited the neighborhood of their Airbnb listing.