According to a statement by Airbnb: “At a time when the Government is studying new rules for housing, but which also affect the regulatory framework for short-term rentals, it is essential to understand the real impact on the lives of the Portuguese”.

According to an internal study by Airbnb, and contrary to the assumption that most accommodation in Portugal belongs mostly to large real estate speculators and is located in large urban centres, 9 out of 10 hosts in Portugal state that the space they advertise on the platform was, in 2022, owned by them or their family.


Fundamental to growth

“Accommodation was, and continues to be, fundamental to the recovery and economic growth of Portugal and is spread across the country, from the big cities to the smallest villages: in 2022, almost two-thirds of the nights of short-term accommodation booked in Airbnb in Portugal were outside Porto and Lisbon”, states the company.

“Airbnb has been working with policymakers in Portugal to show its commitment to helping address legitimate concerns about housing and the rising cost of living. Airbnb recognises that densely populated areas in Portugal are facing housing affordability challenges and is committed to working to find balanced solutions that protect local families and the local economy”.

"Airbnb has been supporting work across the EU to create short-term rental rules that open up economic opportunities for ordinary hosts, as well as give governments the information they need to curb excessive tourism and speculators that raise concerns about local housing. Airbnb believes that any regulation must be fair, evidence-based, and must not unfairly target local families at the expense of traditional hospitality," said Juliette Langlais, Airbnb Director of Public Policy for EMEA region.

Airbnb has been calling for simple, clear rules for ordinary hosts and a streamlined data-sharing process with a single entry point across the EU. “Airbnb supports regulation that clearly differentiates between speculators and occasional hosts who rent out the space they live in or use. Following these principles, Airbnb intends to continue working with Portugal to enable ordinary hosts to benefit from and participate in the European tourism economy, while providing governments with the information they need to support effective policy-making and combat bad actors and over-tourism”.


Importance of rentals for income

According to the same internal study, almost half of hosts in Portugal say that the additional income they earn from accommodation helps them pay for their homes and 50% say they used the money earned on Airbnb to make ends meet. Nearly a third of hosts expect to rely more on the money they earn through hosting in the coming year.

Hosts on Airbnb describe hosting as a complement to their main activity and that the money they earn is not their main source of income. Almost 70% of hosts do not consider hosting as their main occupation and more than half indicated that they use the money they earn to carry out home improvements or renovations.

Author

Originally from the UK, Daisy has been living and working in Portugal for more than 20 years. She has worked in PR, marketing and journalism, and has been the editor of The Portugal News since 2019. Jornalista 7920

Daisy Sampson