Ownership from abroad
Property management and letting in Madeira
Most of the owners we work for live more than 2,500 km from their house. Ownership has to function without them: guests received, teams supervised, bills paid on time, and a written record of the building's condition four times a year.
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Alojamento local and the letting itself
Where the use class, the condominium rules and the municipal position allow it, we handle the alojamento local registration and the obligations that come with it — the guest register, the required notifications, the insurance and the visible licence details.
Then we run the letting: calendar and pricing across the seasons, guest communication before and during the stay, key handover, and the turnaround between bookings. Madeira's season is long but uneven, and the difference between a good year and an average one is usually pricing in the shoulder months rather than in August.
Long-term tenancies are the alternative where holiday letting is not permitted or not wanted: tenant selection, contract, deposit, inventory and the annual rent review. We say plainly which of the two suits a given property, including when the answer is neither.
Cleaning, maintenance and the trades
We appoint and supervise the cleaning and maintenance teams, and we check their work rather than forwarding their invoices. The recurring cycle is set by the climate: gutters and roof drainage before the rain season, exterior woodwork and metalwork against the salt, garden and pool cycles, and ventilation in an empty house so that damp does not settle in.
For repairs you get photographs and a quote before the work. We agree a limit below which we act immediately, so that a leaking valve is not waiting on a time difference. Larger works — a roof, a terrace waterproofing, a full bathroom — move over to the construction mandate with its own tendering and supervision.
IMI, utility contracts and the paperwork of ownership
The administrative side is small but unforgiving: IMI notices arrive on a fixed calendar, condominium charges have their own, and electricity, water and internet contracts have to be in the right name with the right meter readings. We keep them in order, register meter changes and deal with the supplier when a bill is wrong.
Where a property is let, we keep the records your accountant will ask for — income, occupancy, expenses with receipts — in one place per year. We do not give tax advice; we make sure the person who does has the numbers.
Quarterly condition reports
Four times a year you receive a written report with photographs: the state of the roof, terraces, drainage, exterior finishes, garden and pool, plus what was done since the last report and what we recommend doing next.
The point of the report is to catch the slow problems — a hairline crack in a terrace slab, a blocked drain that only shows in heavy rain — while they are still cheap. It is also the document you will be glad to have if you decide to sell, because it shows a buyer the house was looked after.
How management starts
- Week 0Handover visit
Inventory, condition photographs, keys, meters and the contact list.
- Week 1–2Contracts and registrations
Utilities in the right name, IMI and condominium set up, AL registration where applicable.
- Week 2–4Teams and schedule
Cleaning, garden, pool and maintenance cycles appointed and scheduled.
- OngoingLetting and upkeep
Bookings or tenancy, turnarounds, repairs with quote before work.
- QuarterlyCondition report
Written report with photographs and a recommendation list.
Someone on the island, the same day
A managing agent 2,500 km away is a mailbox. Ours is a person who can be at the property on the day of a burst pipe, with a quote in your inbox before the work starts. Every visit is logged and every quarter is documented in writing. Licensed under AMI 18584 (IMPIC).
Questions about this service
Can any property on Madeira be registered for alojamento local?
No. It depends on the use class recorded for the property, on the condominium rules where there are neighbours, and on the current municipal position for that address. The national rules have changed several times, so we confirm the status with the câmara municipal for the specific property rather than giving a general answer.
What happens if something breaks while I am abroad?
You get a message with photographs and a quote before the work, not an invoice after it. For the classic winter emergencies — a burst pipe, a blocked drain, storm damage to a terrace — someone from our team is on site the same day and we agree a spending limit with you in advance so that small repairs do not wait for an email reply.
How is an empty house looked after between stays?
Damp, salt and vegetation are the three things that damage an unoccupied Madeiran property. We run scheduled visits: ventilation, gutters and roof drainage before and after the rain season, pool and garden cycles, and a check of the exterior metalwork. Each visit is logged, and the quarterly report shows what was found and what was done.
Tell us about the property and how you use it
We look at the use class, the condominium rules and the location, then set out what management would cover, what it would cost and whether letting is realistic for that address.