EU Regulation 2024/1028: the single European registration already applies to your short-term rental

Short-term rentals in Portugal have always had their own rulebook — RNAL, municipal licences, AT filings. But since EU Regulation 2024/1028 came into force, there's a new layer sitting on top of all of that: a single, EU-wide registration system for short-term rentals.

This isn't a replacement for what already exists. It's an addition. And ignoring it can cost you visibility on the platforms — or worse, leave you non-compliant without realising it.

What is this regulation, exactly?

EU Regulation 2024/1028 — also known as the Short-Term Rental Regulation, or STRR — was adopted by the European Parliament and the Council with a clear goal: to create a harmonised registration and data-sharing system for short-term rentals across the entire European Union.

The logic is straightforward. Platforms like Airbnb, Booking, and VRBO operate across multiple countries simultaneously, but until now each country — and often each municipality — had its own registration rules. That created a compliance maze, both for hosts and for the platforms themselves.

Under this regulation, Member States are required to create or adapt their registration systems so they are interoperable, and platforms are required to verify and display the registration numbers of the listings they host.

What changes for you, concretely

If you run a short-term rental in Portugal, your RNAL number — your entry in the Registo Nacional de Alojamento Local — now plays an even more central role than it already did.

The regulation requires that:

• Hosts register their properties with the relevant national authority before listing them on any platform.
• Platforms verify the validity of registration numbers and display them on listings.
• Platforms share activity data with the relevant authorities on a regular basis — which means the AT and municipalities will have access to significantly more detailed information about who is operating and at what volume.

In practice: if your listing doesn't have a valid, visible registration number, platforms can suspend it. That's not a vague threat — it's an obligation the platforms themselves must meet, under penalty of sanctions.

Portugal already has the RNAL — am I automatically compliant?

Almost, but not quite.

Having an RNAL number is the starting point. What the EU regulation adds is the requirement that this number is actually visible on your listings across every platform where you operate. Having it filed away somewhere, or entered on just one platform, isn't enough.

Beyond that, as Portugal adapts its national legislation to comply with the regulation — and that process is underway — additional reporting or data-update requirements may emerge.

The implementation timeline

The regulation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union in 2024 and sets out phased deadlines for its application. Member States have a transition period to adapt their national systems, and platforms have their own deadlines to implement the verification and data-sharing mechanisms.

What this means in practice: the process has already started, even if not everything is fully operational yet. Waiting to see how it plays out isn't a strategy — it's a risk.

What you should do now

1. Confirm your RNAL is active and up to date

Log into the Balcão Único Eletrónico (BUE) portal and check that your registration is valid, that your property details are correct, and that there are no pending communications.

2. Check your listings on every platform

Open each platform where your property is listed — Airbnb, Booking, VRBO, or any other — and confirm that your RNAL number is entered in the correct field. Each platform has its own dedicated field for the registration number; mentioning it in the description doesn't count.

3. Keep an eye on updates to Portuguese legislation

Portugal is still adapting its domestic legal framework to comply with the EU regulation. That may translate into new requirements or forms. Following the Diário da República and communications from Turismo de Portugal is the most direct way to avoid being caught off guard.

4. Keep your documentation

If platforms request additional documentation to verify your registration, respond promptly and keep copies of everything. European bureaucracy has a long memory.

Data sharing: what changes for the AT and municipalities

This is perhaps the least-discussed aspect, but one of the most significant.

The regulation requires platforms to share activity data — number of nights, revenue, occupancy — with the relevant authorities in each Member State. In Portugal, that includes the AT and potentially municipalities.

What this means: the ability to cross-reference what you declare with what the platforms report is going to increase substantially. That's not alarmism — it's the clear direction of EU policy. If your IRS return is in order, there's nothing to worry about. If it isn't, the problem is only going to grow.

In summary

EU Regulation 2024/1028 doesn't reinvent short-term rentals in Portugal — but it does reinforce how important it is to have your registration in order and visible everywhere. Your RNAL is no longer just a national requirement; it's your European credential.

The good news: if you're already operating properly, the additional effort is relatively small. It's mostly about making sure the right number is in the right place, on every platform, and staying alert to the changes that Portuguese legislation will continue to introduce.

Compliance isn't a one-time event — it's an ongoing state. And this regulation is one more reminder of that.