Transferring an AL registration when a property is sold (mudança de titularidade)

Whether an Alojamento Local registration survives a sale, the transfer procedure on Balcão Único, the seller's and buyer's obligations, and the traps in containment areas.

An AL registration belongs to the operator, not to the bricks. When a property changes hands, the registration does not simply follow it — and in containment parishes, mishandling this can destroy the value you thought you were buying.

The default rule

On transmission of the property or of the business, the AL registration is not automatically transferred to the buyer. What the law provides for is a procedure: the transfer must be communicated to the municipality and to Turismo de Portugal, and the new operator must take over the registration formally. In several situations the registration simply lapses if the acquirer does not act within the legal window.

Where the acquirer expressly declares they will continue the activity, and the communication is made in time, the number can continue.

The procedure on Balcão Único

1. The seller communicates the transmission, identifying the acquirer.

2. The acquirer submits their own data: NIF/NIPC, identity document, title of legitimacy (deed), and their own insurance policy.

3. Capacity and modality carry over unless changed.

4. The municipality is notified and may verify conditions.

5. The registration continues under the new holder, keeping the same AL number.

Do all of it inside the statutory window. Late means a new registration — which in a containment area may be impossible.

What buyers must check before signing

The RNAL number is active, and matches the fraction being bought.
The modality (apartment, moradia, hospedagem) matches what you plan to run.
The declared capacity matches reality, because INE and tourist tax filings depend on it.
No pending condominium opposition or municipal proceeding.
Whether the parish is a containment area — if it is, the licence is the asset.

Put the transfer into the purchase contract as a condition, with the seller obliged to file the communication on completion.

Sellers: what you must do

Communicate the transmission and, if the activity ends, cancel the registration. Leaving a live AL number attached to a property you no longer own leaves you exposed to obligations, including insurance, complaints and tax filings.

After the transfer

The new operator must re-do the operational plumbing: new SIBA credentials, new municipal tourist tax portal access, new complaints book registration, new insurance filing. None of these carry over with the number.

In Chave AL, update the property's owner details, upload the new insurance certificate to the Document Vault, and re-enter SIBA credentials — the historical guest data stays with the property for reporting continuity.