GUIDES
Guides for short-term rental owners
In-depth articles on what decides whether a short-term rental makes money online: costs, commissions and booking engines. Written to help you decide, even if you never work with us.
- Cost guide
How much a short-term rental website costs
The answer depends on what the price covers: building the site, keeping it online and making changes over time. Here's what each part costs, what it costs with us and when the site pays for itself, with real numbers.
9 min readRead guide - Strategy
How to cut Booking and Airbnb commissions
OTAs bring real demand and you don't need to leave them. What you can do is build a direct channel, so that some of your bookings stop paying the OTA's commission. Here's how, step by step.
9 min readRead guide - Explainer
What is a booking engine
It's what turns your site from a shop window into a direct booking channel: it shows real availability, takes payment and confirms the stay, without the guest leaving your domain and with no OTA commission.
7 min readRead guide - Local SEO guide
Google Business Profile for short-term rentals
Google Business Profile is free, and it's often the first thing guests see when they search for "accommodation" in your town. The eligibility rules are specific and they change over time. This guide explains who can use it, how to set it up properly and how to link it to your website to win direct bookings.
10 min readRead guide - Tax guide
Tourist tax by municipality in Portugal
Portugal has no single tourist tax. Dozens of municipalities charge their own, each with its own rate, exemptions and cap on nights. This guide gives you the overall picture with examples you can check, but the rule never changes: confirm with the official source.
10 min readRead guide - Registration guide
How to register a short-term rental in Portugal
Registering an AL in Portugal is simpler than it looks, but the order matters: first the tax authority, then the prior notification on the government's online one-stop shop, and only then do you open. Here is the real process, step by step. It is for information only and is not legal advice.
9 min readRead guide - Legal guide
What changed in Portugal's short-term rental law
In three years, the law on Alojamento Local (AL), Portugal's legal regime for short-term rentals, was tightened and then relaxed again. This guide follows those changes with dates and official sources, and points out what varies by municipality. It isn't legal advice.
9 min readRead guide - Revenue management
Pricing strategy for short-term rentals
The right price isn't a fixed number. It moves with the season, the day of the week, how far ahead the date is and what's happening nearby. This practical guide will help you stop guessing and set your prices with a method.
10 min readRead guide - Tips guide
How to earn 5-star reviews
In short-term rentals, reviews are what guests trust most. You can't buy or force them: you earn them by setting the right expectations and getting small things right at the right moments. Here's how to do it honestly, and how to turn that real proof into more direct bookings.
9 min readRead guide - Photography & conversion
How to photograph your rental for more bookings
Before guests read the price or the description, they look at the photos. Good photos fill the calendar, while dark, cluttered shots put people off even when the home is excellent. Here's how to photograph your property well, even with a phone.
9 min readRead guide - Guest experience
Automate guest communication
A good stay starts well before check-in and doesn't end at departure. The right message at the right time answers questions before they're asked, cuts last-minute calls and brings in more five-star reviews. Most of these messages can be written once and reused for every booking.
9 min readRead guide - Operations
Managing Booking, Airbnb and direct
Selling the same property on several channels gives you more visibility, but it also raises the risk of two bookings for the same night. The answer is one central calendar and clear rules, so you can grow your direct channel without losing what the OTAs bring you.
9 min readRead guide - Legal guide
Mandatory insurance for short-term rentals in Portugal
The legal regime for Alojamento Local (AL), Portugal's framework for short-term rentals, requires civil liability insurance. Without it, your RNAL registration can be cancelled. This guide explains what the law asks for, what the insurance covers and the most common mistakes. It is for information only and is not legal or insurance advice, so always confirm your cover with your insurer.
8 min readRead guide - Guest reporting
Guest registration: the accommodation bulletin
If you run a short-term rental in Portugal, there is one duty that is easy to forget and expensive to ignore: reporting foreign guests' stays to the authorities with an accommodation bulletin in the SIBA system. This guide explains what it is, who has to be reported, the deadline, and how to make it part of your check-in routine. It is for information only and is not legal advice.
8 min readRead guide - Practical checklist
Checklist to open a short-term rental in Portugal
Opening a short-term rental (Alojamento Local, or AL) isn't difficult, but there are many small pieces that are easy to forget: the registration, the insurance, the plate by the door, the fire extinguisher, the guest forms. This is the full checklist, step by step, so you can welcome guests with everything in order. It is for information only and is not legal advice.
10 min readRead guide
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