What EU Regulation 2024/1028 actually does

EU Regulation 2024/1028 is not a new licensing requirement. It does not create new rules about how many nights you can rent, or whether you need local planning permission, or what safety equipment you must carry. Those obligations already exist under Portuguese law and are unchanged. What the regulation does is build the enforcement infrastructure on top of the systems that already exist — and make non-compliance significantly harder to hide.

From 20 May 2026, platforms including Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo are legally required to do three things: verify and display your RNAL registration number on your listing; transmit monthly activity data — address, registration number, nights rented, guest counts — to Portugal's Single Digital Entry Point; and act on suspension orders from competent authorities within ten working days, or 48 hours in serious cases.

The practical effect for Algarve owners is straightforward. If your registration number is valid and your listing data matches your RNAL record exactly, nothing changes. If there is a mismatch — a wrong address, a different property type, an outdated capacity figure — the automated system will flag it, and your listing faces suspension.

EU Regulation 2024/1028 in the Algarve: the immediate action

Portugal's RNAL (Registo Nacional de Alojamento Local) has been the country's AL registration system since 2014. Every property operating as an AL already holds a registration number in the format XXXXX/AL. That number has always been required on listings. What changes from 20 May 2026 is that platforms will now verify it automatically, not rely on manual spot checks.

The single most important action for any Algarve owner is to verify that the data on your RNAL registration matches what your platforms hold exactly. Not roughly. Exactly. The machine-to-machine verification will compare the address, property type, and declared guest capacity field by field. A flat recorded as "Apartamento" on the RNAL that is listed as "Villa" on Airbnb is a mismatch. A property recorded at Rua das Flores, 12, Floor 2 that is listed simply as Rua das Flores, 12 is a mismatch.

You do not need to re-register. You need to verify that every field on your RNAL record matches every field on your platform listing — precisely.

You can check your RNAL record via the ePortugal Balcão do Empreendedor portal, and you can confirm that your number is live in Turismo de Portugal's public registry using the RNAL lookup tool. If you find a discrepancy and cannot resolve it yourself in Portuguese, APC can manage the correction as part of your compliance programme.

The five fields that must match — and the four common alignment failures

The machine validation under EU 2024/1028 compares the RNAL record against the platform listing on five primary fields. If any one of them disagrees, the listing is at risk of being flagged.

  1. RNAL number — format NNNNN/AL. Must be displayed on every active listing and must return a live record in the RNAL public lookup.
  2. Holder NIF — the tax identification number registered as the AL holder must match the NIF on the platform host profile and the payout account.
  3. Holder name — the legal name on the RNAL record (individual or company) must match the host profile name and the payout account name.
  4. Property address — the full RNAL address (street, number, floor, letterbox, fração where applicable) must match the address Airbnb or Booking has on file. “Floor 3, Letterbox B” in the registry cannot appear as “Apt 3B” on the listing without a mismatch flag.
  5. Modalidade — the AL classification on the RNAL (moradia, apartamento, estabelecimento de hospedagem, or quartos) must match how the property is described on the platform. A villa registered as apartamento is a mismatch.

In our audit work, four mismatches account for the majority of suspension risks:

  • NIF mismatch — property registered to a company NIF but listed under an individual owner's NIF (or vice versa). Common after a property is moved into a holding company without updating the RNAL.
  • Holder name mismatch — RNAL still in a previous owner's name after a transfer under DL 76/2024, or a married name on the RNAL versus a maiden name on the platform profile.
  • Address granularity mismatch — RNAL holds the floor and letterbox; the listing holds only the street number.
  • Modalidade mismatch — most frequently a property registered as quartos in the host's main residence but now operated as a whole moradia.

What happens if your listing is flagged

The regulation is designed to avoid automated mass delistings. Human review is required before a platform removes a listing. If an authority spots a problem — an invalid registration number, a suspended licence, a mismatch — they issue a formal order to the platform. The platform then has ten working days to comply, or 48 hours in cases of willful misconduct or fraud.

For owners with a valid RNAL number and accurate listing data, the practical risk on 20 May is low. The risk is higher for properties that have been operating without an RNAL number, or whose records have not been updated following a change of address, a capacity increase, or a change of ownership.

Owners who acquired a property under DL 76/2024's transferability provisions — where the AL registration transferred with the sale — should verify that the RNAL record has been updated to reflect the new owner's details. A transferred registration number is valid, but the underlying record must show the current operator.

The eight items to have in place

Beyond the data-matching issue, the May 2026 enforcement date is a useful moment to confirm that your broader compliance position is sound. These are the eight items every Algarve AL should have confirmed before the deadline.

  • Valid RNAL registration number displayed on all platform listings
  • RNAL record data matches platform listing data field-by-field
  • Current AL civil liability insurance (minimum €75,000 per incident) — documentation accessible within three days if requested
  • AL plaque displayed at the property entrance (Portaria 262/2020)
  • Fire safety pack in place: certified extinguisher, fire blanket, first aid kit, 112 displayed
  • Gas inspection certificate current (required every two years for properties with gas)
  • AIMA/SIBA guest registration active for all foreign guests (within three working days of arrival)
  • Livro de Reclamações — physical and digital registration with ASAE

The data regulation does not inspect your property. But it increases the visibility of your registration to authorities who do. Owners with a valid RNAL number and a compliant property have nothing to fear from 20 May 2026.

Get the right CAE on Finanças: 55204, not 55201

Most Algarve villa owners who completed their AL registration before 2024 have one of two CAE codes on their Finanças activity record — 55201 (“Hotéis com restaurante”) or 55204 (“Outros locais de alojamento de curta duração”). For a standard Algarve villa or apartment let on Airbnb or Booking, the correct code is almost always 55204. The 55201 and 55202 codes belong to formal hotelaria operations.

The CAE does not appear on Airbnb or Booking, so it will not be cross-checked by the platforms under EU 2024/1028 directly. But it does appear on the cross-reference between the RNAL and Finanças that authorities run when activity data flows in monthly. A wrong CAE on a high-volume listing is one of the fastest ways to attract an inspection. If you are not sure which code is on your activity record, log in to the Portal das Finanças and check, or ask your accountant to confirm.

What to do now

Log in to the ePortugal portal, locate your RNAL record, and compare every field against your Airbnb and Booking.com listings. Address, property type, floor, guest capacity — all of it. If you spot a discrepancy, correct it before 20 May.

If your RNAL record is current and your listing data matches, you are ready. Review the eight-item checklist above as a secondary confirmation, and keep your insurance documentation accessible. The May deadline is real — the practical action is simple.

For a full overview of your compliance obligations as a British villa owner in Portugal, read our UK owner's compliance guide or start your APC service to bring your villa onto our compliance dashboard.

We also advise on short-term to long-term rental conversion under Portugal's 2026 housing package — get in touch if you are weighing that decision.

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