licence to be able to rent property

[Littlelegs]

Hi all
Licence to be able to rent..............
can anyone tell me anything about this please as I have been told it has changed and that you need a surveyor from the Camera to inspect your property for health ans Safety eg. fire extinguishers, fire alarms, safety round poot etc. and have to pay a fee of around 5,000 euros for this certificate. We will be renting our property out next year and would value any help & advice.
thanks

[Guest]

suggest you scroll back to jan 20..look at heading place in sun or place to be stung

[astrid]

Hi Littlelegs,

I have never heard about such a licence and we have been renting
out now for over 30 years. If you are using a agency to find the renters
for you, they usually do this kind of safety inspection themselves,
that is, if they are a good and serious company.

In any case, it would also be wise to check all
the safety issues by yourself too, especially if you are not using any
agency. Fire extiguishers need to be checked every year.

It would certainly be distressing if any of your renters had an
accident while staying at your house. Check your insurance also
for third party liablility and warn the renters that they are responsible
for safety aroung the pool. For example, by telling them that diving is forbidden and that children cannot be left alone. Make sure you clearly
indicate the depth of the pool at both ends. Check that people
can't trip off stairways, indoors or outdoors. Paint any outdoor steps
with white lines, to been seen in the dark, provide solid handles in baths
and showers to help the elderly etc. etc.
They say that most accidents happen the first day,
when the guest arrives (because they're not yet familiar).

Good luck,

*astrid*

[Guest]

http://portugalresident.com/portugalres ... p?ID=11320

A couple of weeks ago in "The resident" Scroll down article for the lawyers view

[astrid]

...and for more see also the posting in this Forum under
"General Carvoeiro" of 31 January,

" WILL THE PORTUGUESE NEVER GET IT RIGHT"


*astrid*

[nightrider]

...and for more see also the posting in this Forum under
"General Carvoeiro" of 31 January,

" WILL THE PORTUGUESE NEVER GET IT RIGHT"


*astrid*

Astrid,
I have copied it and brought the above you refer to on here:-

Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 3:26 pm Post subject: WILL THE PORTUGUESE NEVER GET IT RIGHT

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HEAVY HANDEDNESS OVER HOLIDAY LETS
The General Economic Activity Inspectorate (IAGE) has provoked shudders within the residential tourism market, adding to long standing confusion over the legal requirements for letting privately-owned villas and apartments.
IAGE inspectors have been visiting the Algarve offices of management and rental companies to inquire whether the properties they are offering are properly licensed and registered for tourist use. Very few are.
As a result, companies are facing minimum fines of €2,500 per unregistered holiday home on their books. Some companies have more than 100 such properties. Individual owners who transgress the letting law are liable to fines of between €500 and €3,740.
All privately-owned accommodation let to tourists is supposed to be licensed and registered specifically for this purpose. Although registration use to be done by simply filling in a form for the Algarve Tourist Board (RTA), the law on tourist-use licensing is not new. The process starts with submitting plans of the property to the local cãmara . Obtaining a tourist-licence is more complicated than the standard habitation licence for owner use and involves, for example, the fire authorities.
Once the cãmara has approved the application, it is forwarded for registration to the Lisboa headquarters of the Direcção Geral do Turismo, DGT official explained, adding that the whole process could take several months.
In the past, individual owners wanting to comply with the law have usually given up because they have been unable to get clear direction from the clanking bureaucracy. Most owners simply ignor the legal requirement and up until now have been getting away with it.
Hoteliers and private resort owners have long been miffed about what they see as unfair competition from unregistered owners. Even so, bodies such as the AHETA hotels' association do not see eye to eye with IAGE. AHETA,which wants registration process simplified to encourage everyone to comply, last year protested at the heavy-handed IAGE approach of imposing fines instead of giving guidance or warnings.
Letting agents say IAGE action, coming hot on the heels of the offshore fiasco, could, if pursued, be another example of the government shooting itself in the foot, with far-reaching consequences for the Algarve tourist and property markets.LP
The Algarve Goodlife January 2006
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COMMENT:- Interesting to note that many property owners, despite all the scare- mongering of Property being owned by Offshore Companies are still owned and sold on a daily basis here in the Algarve and across Portugal........and domiciled in White listed Countries such as Delaware USA and Malta...the owners being exempt from 25% CG's when selling. The tax that Portugal was seeking in the legislation a couple of years back was lost because of the unrealistic amounts sought. In otherwords if a line in the sand had been drawn allowing the owners to have purchased back in their names at a realistic tax figure... across the board.... Portugual I have no doubt would have recouped one hell of a lot of monies. So it would seem to those in the know that the above legislation... once again has most definately not been thought out correctly and will eventually go the same way as the Offshore Companies poor piece of legislation...i.e. in the long run nothing will change....one can only wonder if the powers that be in Portugal will ever get it right
Nightrider.
_________________

[biffa]

The obvious danger in applying for a licence to the Camara is that an inspection could unearth illegal alterations to the house which then opens up a bigger can of worms.

Many houses in the Algarve have had some illegal alterations made to them - unlicensed pools, garages made into bedrooms etc

[Guest]

yes what a nightmare...whatever you do here with all this "licence" farce seems you can never come out from the "quicksand"...if you try and do things legally your dammed if you do and if you dont bother then its dammed if you dont

[Gambrinus]

Interestingly, the DGT is insisting, that previously registered properties be re-registered in compliance with the new legislation. In other words, those houses that were registered a few years back are now sitting in exactly the same boat as those who never bothered. To add injury to insult, they are also in the crosshairs of the inspectors for the same fines as those who have never seen the front of a registration form.

As far as most local managers are concerned, no efforts will be spared to kick off an avalanche of registration requests, so as to force the generation of additional workplaces at the local town councils. At least there will be that benefit in the short run

[Guest]

good thinking , swamp them with requests until they drown in their own paperwork

[Mexican Pete]

The legal opinion published in The Resident in mid January seems quite unequivocal that any let property that “is advertised to the public” requires a licence from Câmara. I’d be very interested to know what, if anything, other private owners are doing in this regard.

Assuming that we need to start the process of getting our house licensed, does anyone have a suggestion as to whom we might approach for help with the process? I’m afraid that I don’t have a very high opinion of Portuguese lawyers!

Oh the joys of owning a place in Portugal!

[Guest]

we are having a prayer meeting this weekend

[Bruxinha]

I’m afraid that I don’t have a very high opinion of Portuguese lawyers!

Glad I am not the only one.