Short-term rental in Cascais: AL rules and status in 2026

Short-term letting in Cascais currently follows the national Alojamento Local (AL) rules only. The Câmara decided on 24 March 2026 to start drafting a municipal AL regulation, but as of 28 September 2026 there is no draft, no public consultation, no suspension of new registrations and no containment zone. New registrations are possible, and existing ones transfer with a sale.

Where does Cascais stand on AL today?

The regulation is being prepared, and nothing has changed yet for owners or buyers. The table summarises each point that matters for a purchase.

Timeline of decisions

Each entry below is taken from an official bulletin, a published decree or, where marked, the press.

What does Decreto-Lei 151/2026 do?

It buys time; it does not impose a regulation. The decree applies to municipalities that had more than 1,000 registered AL establishments on 31 December 2025, and gives them until 31 December 2026 to decide whether to adopt an AL regulation, extending the normal 12-month deadline in the AL law. The stated reason is the change of municipal executives after the 2025 local elections.

It also lets these municipalities suspend new registrations in areas intended as containment zones, either by extending a suspension that has expired or by adding one more. A suspension must be limited to the time strictly needed to prepare the regulation, needs Assembleia Municipal approval on a proposal from the Câmara, is not retroactive and ends by 31 December 2026 at the latest.

No official count confirms that Cascais is above the 1,000-unit threshold, although the Câmara's decision to draft a regulation is consistent with it. Either way, the law does not oblige Cascais to adopt rules; it sets the date by which a decision is due.

Can you buy a flat with an AL registration and keep letting it?

Yes, under current law. Since 1 November 2024 (Decreto-Lei 76/2024) an AL registration no longer lapses when the property or the operator changes, and the new owner updates the operator details on the Balcão Único Eletrónico within 10 days. Guides written between October 2023 and October 2024, when registrations were personal and non-transferable, are out of date on this point.

The exception is future containment zones: inside them, a municipal regulation may impose proportionate limits on the transfer of new registrations. Transfers by inheritance, to a spouse, descendants or ascendants free of charge, or on divorce, remain protected. Since Cascais has designated no containment zone, no such limit applies today.

What are the risks if you buy now to let short-term?

The main risk is timing. A regulation or a suspension could be approved before the end of 2026, and a registration you plan to apply for after the purchase could fall inside a restricted area. A registration that already exists is on firmer ground, but a future regulation could still set conditions for it.

• Containment zones: if designated, new registrations there could be refused or suspended, and transfers of new registrations limited.
• Condominium opposition: the owners can no longer cancel a registration on their own, but a reasoned resolution backed by more than half of the building's permilagem, based on proven disturbance, can ask the mayor to cancel it. The mayor decides.
• Insurance: civil-liability cover of at least €75,000 per claim is compulsory; a registration is cancelled if it lapses, and Cascais has been checking since June 2025.
• Inspection: registration is by prior communication with a deadline (comunicação prévia com prazo). The mayor can oppose within 60 days, or 90 days in a containment zone, and the new committee carries out inspections.

The extraordinary AL contribution (CEAL) created in 2023 was revoked by Decreto-Lei 57/2024 with effect from the end of 2023, so it is not a cost to plan for.

What to check before buying

1. The registration number: look it up in the national AL register (RNAL, rnt.turismodeportugal.pt) and compare the operator, type of establishment and capacity with what the seller describes.
2. The usage permit: an AL registration requires a usage title for housing (autorização or licença de utilização). The deed no longer has to show it, so ask your lawyer to check it separately.
3. The condominium: read the building rules and the minutes of recent assemblies for complaints about AL. A hostel in a building under horizontal property needs the condominium's authorisation.
4. Insurance: make sure a valid civil-liability policy is in place from the day the operator changes.
5. Concentration in one building: one operator may not run more than nine AL apartments in the same building where they exceed 75% of its units.
6. The municipal calendar: follow the Boletim Municipal and cascais.pt/consultas-publicas until the 31 December 2026 decision.

The national registration steps, forms and tax treatment are covered in the sister site's guide to AL licensing in Portugal.

What are the alternatives to short-term letting?

Medium- and long-term residential leases carry no AL registration risk and have gained tax advantages in 2026. INE's median rent for new leases in Cascais was €16.43/m² a month in Q1 2026, second only to Lisboa (INE changed its rent series in 2026, so compare with older data carefully).

• 10% tax on moderate rents: from 2026 to 2029, rent from residential leases of up to €2,300 a month is taxed at 10% under Decreto-Lei 97/2026, instead of the standard 25% flat rate on rental income.
• Lower IMI: Cascais reduces IMI by 20% for homes let for housing (Edital n.º 19/2026).
• IMT refund for non-residents: a non-resident who was never tax-resident and paid the flat 7.5% IMT can have the difference refunded if the home is let as a residence within six months of the purchase, at up to €2,300 a month, for at least 36 months within the first five years. Short-term letting does not qualify. The figures are in our guide to the cost of buying property in Cascais.

If you tell us your brief, including how you intend to use the home, we will send a shortlist of verified homes and flag any AL registration or condominium issue we find.

General information on the rules and municipal decisions known on 28 September 2026, not legal advice. AL rules in Cascais may change before 31 December 2026; ask a Portuguese lawyer to confirm the position for a specific property.