The Territorial Command of the Azores National Republican Guard (GNR) announced on Friday the identification of 19 vehicle owners, aged between 25 and 50, who were converting their cars into living spaces on the islands of São Miguel, São Jorge, Pico, and Faial.
In a statement issued to newsrooms, the security force explained that it conducted several enforcement actions to control illegal rent-a-car activities.
The Guard determined that several vehicles “were being converted into living spaces and subsequently advertised and promoted online as motorhomes or live-in homes.”
The GNR discovered that many of these operators were functioning without the necessary prior communication with the Institute of Mobility and Transports (IMT).
The investigation “further revealed that the vehicles were not under rental contracts,” the statement continued.
As a result of these inspections, “23 vehicles were identified as operating without proper authorization for rent-a-car activities,” and “19 notices for tax offenses were issued due to lack of communication regarding the commencement of light vehicle rental activities” to the Tax and Customs Authority (AT). This infraction is subject to fines ranging from 300 to 7,500 euros for individuals.
Additionally, the security force issued “19 notices of infraction for operating rent-a-car activities without the required administrative permission,” a violation penalized with fines between 1,500 and 2,500 euros for individuals.
All infractions were forwarded to the Regional Subdirectorate of Land Transport, according to the GNR.
