INE IPHH: The Monthly Reporting Obligation Portugal Airbnb Hosts Keep Forgetting

SIBA gets most of the attention when Airbnb hosts in Portugal talk about compliance. But there's a second, equally important reporting obligation that catches many hosts off guard: the INE IPHH monthly survey. Miss it consistently and you're not just out of compliance — you're leaving official statistical records incomplete in a way that can have ripple effects on your license standing.

This guide explains exactly what the INE IPHH is, who must submit it, what data is required, and how to make it as painless as possible.

What Is INE IPHH (WebInq)?

INE stands for Instituto Nacional de Estatística — Portugal's National Statistics Institute. It is the government body responsible for collecting, producing, and publishing statistical information about the country, including data on tourism, accommodation, and economic activity.

IPHH stands for Inquérito à Permanência de Hóspedes em Habitações — the Survey on Guest Stays in Dwellings (or in some phrasings, in Hotel and Hospitality Establishments). It is a monthly survey that the INE requires Alojamento Local operators to complete, providing data on guest stays at their properties.

In practical terms: every month, as an Alojamento Local host, you must report to INE statistics about the guests who stayed at your property during that month. This includes the number of guests, the number of nights stayed, their country of origin, and related metrics.

Why Does INE Collect This Data?

The IPHH data feeds into Portugal's national tourism statistics. The government uses this information to:

• Understand the volume and patterns of short-term rental tourism

• Compare tourism flows across regions and countries of origin

• Inform housing and tourism policy decisions

• Report to European Union statistical bodies (Eurostat)

In other words, the data you submit every month as a small Airbnb host contributes to the national picture of tourism in Portugal. That's why it's mandatory, not optional.

Who Is Required to Submit the INE IPHH?

The INE IPHH reporting obligation applies to all licensed Alojamento Local (AL) establishments in Portugal. Whether you rent out a single room in your Lisbon apartment or manage a villa in the Algarve, if you hold an AL license, you are required to participate in the IPHH survey.

INE selects establishments for mandatory participation based on criteria including property size and location. However, many AL hosts are included. If you've received communication from INE about your IPHH obligation — or if you haven't received communication but want to confirm your status — you should log in to the INE web survey platform at webinq.ine.pt to check.

What Data Does the IPHH Survey Require?

Each month, you will need to report the following information for your Alojamento Local property:

• Total number of guests who stayed during the month

• Total number of overnight stays (bed nights)

• Breakdown by country of origin of guests

• Number of domestic guests (Portuguese residents) vs. international guests

• Occupancy data for the reporting period

This data should correspond to your actual booking records for the month. If you're using a platform like Airbnb or Booking.com, your host dashboard will contain most of the information you need — but you'll need to manually collate it and enter it into the INE survey form unless you have a tool that does it automatically.

When Must You Submit the IPHH Report?

The IPHH is a monthly survey covering the previous calendar month. The typical deadline for submission falls in the first two weeks of the following month, though exact dates may vary. INE communicates specific deadlines through the webinq platform and via email to registered establishments.

For example, the report for January would typically need to be submitted by mid-February.

Missing deadlines repeatedly can have consequences. While a single late submission may simply generate a reminder from INE, consistent non-compliance is recorded and can be flagged to the relevant tourism and municipal authorities.

The Challenge: Monthly Data, Manual Entry, Every Single Month

Here's the reality that most hosts face with the INE IPHH: it's not a one-time setup. It's a recurring monthly commitment, and it requires you to have accurate records of your guests for the previous month ready to go every time the survey opens.

For hosts who manage their rental casually — booking through Airbnb and handling things as they come — compiling this data monthly can feel like a significant administrative burden. Common pain points include:

• Forgetting it's due — monthly tasks are easy to let slip

• Not having the data organized — guests from different platforms, different booking periods, different nationalities all need to be collated

• Making errors — incorrect data submitted to INE can require corrections and follow-up

For hosts managing multiple properties, multiply this complexity accordingly.

How EazyAL Handles INE IPHH Reporting Automatically

This is where EazyAL makes a meaningful difference. EazyAL integrates with your property's booking data and generates your IPHH report automatically each month.

Because EazyAL already collects guest data through its digital check-in form — including nationality, dates of stay, and number of guests — it has everything it needs to compile your monthly INE statistics automatically.

The workflow looks like this:

1. Guests complete EazyAL's digital pre-check-in form before arrival, providing all required information

2. EazyAL stores and organises the data throughout the month

3. At the end of the month, EazyAL compiles the IPHH statistics automatically

4. The report is submitted to INE on your behalf within the required timeframe

You receive confirmation, your records are kept, and you've met your legal obligation without spending an hour manually counting nights stayed and nationalities.

This is particularly valuable for hosts who manage multiple properties, where the monthly data across several bookings and several properties would otherwise require significant time to compile and submit.

INE IPHH vs. SIBA: Understanding the Difference

It's important not to confuse these two reporting obligations, as they serve completely different purposes:

Both are mandatory. Both must be taken seriously. And both can be automated through EazyAL.

Frequently Asked Questions About INE IPHH

Is INE IPHH mandatory for all Alojamento Local hosts?
INE selects establishments for mandatory participation, and many AL hosts are included. If you hold an AL license, check webinq.ine.pt to see if your property is enrolled in the survey.

What if I had no guests in a given month?
You should still submit a report for that month, indicating zero guest stays. A nil return still needs to be filed — do not skip the month just because your property was empty.

Can I submit the IPHH manually through the INE website?
Yes, the INE webinquiry system allows manual submission. However, for hosts who value their time, automating this through a platform like EazyAL is a far more efficient approach.

What happens if I miss the IPHH deadline?
Late submissions should still be filed as soon as possible. Consistent non-compliance is noted by INE and can be escalated to tourism regulatory authorities.

Does the IPHH require me to identify individual guests?
No. Unlike SIBA, the IPHH collects aggregate data — totals and breakdowns — not individual guest identities. You are reporting statistics, not personal data.

How does EazyAL know which guests to include in the IPHH report?
EazyAL uses the guest data collected through its digital check-in system. Since all check-in records are stored and tagged by property and date, compiling the monthly aggregates is an automated calculation, not a manual one.

Your Monthly Compliance Checklist

If you're managing your IPHH manually, here's what to do at the start of each month:

1. Export your booking data from Airbnb/Booking.com for the previous month

2. Collate total guest numbers and total nights stayed

3. Break down guests by country of origin

4. Log in to webinq.ine.pt

5. Complete and submit the IPHH form before the deadline

6. Save the confirmation for your records

Or — use EazyAL and skip all of the above.

Take the Monthly Reporting Burden Off Your Plate

INE IPHH is one of those compliance obligations that's easy to understand but easy to neglect. It's monthly, it's recurring, and it requires you to have your data in order every single month. For busy hosts, that's a recipe for missed deadlines and accumulated compliance risk.

EazyAL was built to take exactly this kind of operational weight off hosts' shoulders. By automating your SIBA submissions and your INE IPHH reports — and tying both to the guest data collected at check-in — EazyAL gives you full compliance coverage with minimal effort.

Learn how EazyAL handles your monthly INE reporting at eazyal.com.

EazyAL is a compliance and property management platform for Airbnb and Alojamento Local hosts in Portugal. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Always consult with a qualified advisor regarding your specific compliance obligations.