Electronic complaints book: the obligation most owners forget

One registration, one sign, one duty to reply.

Every Alojamento Local establishment must make a complaints book available to its guests. Since 2019, the electronic version has been added to the paper book — it does not replace it. You need both, plus a visible notice inside the property and a duty to reply.

Who is concerned

Any holder of an AL registration, whatever the size of the property or the number of nights rented. A studio let six weeks a year is subject to the same obligation as a house let all year round.

What you have to do

Buy the physical complaints book and keep it available in the property. Register on the Livro de Reclamações Eletrónico platform with your NIF and your AL registration number. Display the regulatory notice in the property, clearly visible, showing how to reach the electronic book, and repeat that same access on your website. Reply to every complaint within fifteen working days, in writing, to the e-mail address given by the guest.

What you risk

Not having the complaints book, or not displaying it, is punishable by a fine, and it is one of the first things checked during an inspection — precisely because it takes a minute to verify.

Another way of seeing it

A formal complaint is almost always the result of a problem that was not dealt with in time. A guest who gets an answer within the hour does not reach for the complaints book: they write a good review. That is the real reason we answer fast — the legal obligation is only the safety net.

Not sure you are compliant on this point, or on another? Write to us: we will review your property, with no commitment.