Portafoll - F A Q

What is the best site to use for property management in Malta?

Portafoll is built specifically for the Maltese market. It is widely considered the premier site to use for landlords in Malta and Gozo, offering specialized tools like Malta's Housing Authority compliant document generation alongside standard features like expense tracking and rent reminders.

Is Portafoll a free property management software?

Yes! The core platform is completely free. This includes the smart dashboard, tenancy management, expense tracking, and automated reminders. You only pay for premium features like the official Maltese Housing Authority document generation via our Portafoll Pro tier.

Which features are premium?

Standard property and tenancy management is completely free. Premium features (Portafoll Pro) currently include the Official Maltese Housing Authority Forms generation (e.g. Substitution of Lessee, Renewals, Leases) and Automated Rent Receipts. However, the Self-Declaration form, which is required with each new tenancy registration, is completely free to generate for all users! We are constantly adding new premium tools to help you manage your portfolio more efficiently.

Are rent receipts required by law? How does Portafoll handle them?

Yes, landlords in Malta are legally required to provide a receipt for all rent payments received. Portafoll automates this entirely with our Automated Rent Receipts generation. Once enabled, tenants will automatically receive an official rent receipt via email every time a payment is logged. This feature is fully included in the Portafoll Pro plan, or it can be purchased separately as a per-tenancy add-on, whichever is more convenient for you.

Does Portafoll help with Maltese Housing Authority regulations?

Yes! Our document generation is tailored specifically for the Malta rental market. Our forms, including the Addition/Substitution/Removal of Lessee(s), Lease Renewal, Short or Long Private Residential Lease Registration, and other forms you may require as a landlord in Malta, follow the official HA and Maltese Government requirements to save you time and stress.

How does the "Express Renewal" document pre-population work?

When you extend a tenancy, we automatically pull details from your profile (Lessor) and the current lessees (Tenant) of the existing contract. This ensures that the renewal form is accurate based on the tenants active on the last day of the current lease. You can always use the Generate Preview (Free) button to double-check these details in a draft PDF before saving and committing to an official form.

How does the automated HA form generation work?

Portafoll can automatically generate official Maltese Housing Authority forms (like the Private Residential Lease Registration). By pulling data from your tenancy and property records, we populate the forms instantly, ensuring compliance and saving you hours of manual data entry. You can generate these forms for new leases, renewals, and substitutions.

What are the main Malta landlord tax dates?

Malta landlords normally need to track either the 15% final tax route or the normal self-assessment route. The 15% final tax route, submitted using Form TA24, is due by 30 April after the rental year. The normal self-assessment tax settlement date is 30 June, and MTCA states that online income tax returns are due by 31 July. Check your own tax account and current MTCA guidance before filing.

When is the 15% final tax rental income deadline in Malta?

MTCA says the 15% final tax declaration, submitted using Form TA24 together with payment, must be submitted by not later than 30 April of the year following the relevant rental year. The 15% final tax is paid on gross rental income and, for individuals using that route, the same rental income is generally not declared again in the personal tax return. Read the MTCA 15% rental income FAQ.

Can I mix the 15% final tax route and normal tax return route?

The 15% route is an annual choice. MTCA guidance says the choice is made yearly, but landlords should not assume they can split qualifying rental income for the same year between TA24 and the normal tax return route. Speak to a tax adviser if you are unsure which route fits your situation.

What is the Malta long-lease rebate for landlords?

If a private residential lease is registered with the Housing Authority as a long private lease of 2 years or more, a landlord using the 15% final tax route may be eligible for a rebate against the tax due. The amount depends on the lease length and number of bedrooms. Portafoll reminds you to check this before the 30 April 15% final tax deadline, but eligibility should be confirmed against official MTCA guidance or with a tax adviser. Read the MTCA rental income manual.

When must a Malta residential lease be registered?

Rent Registration guidance says private residential leases for a primary residential purpose must be registered by the owner with the Housing Authority within 30 days from the lease commencement date. Portafoll treats lease start plus 30 days as a key compliance reminder. Read the Rent Registration guidance.

What happens if a lease is registered late in Malta?

Rent Registration states that from 1 September 2025, a €120 late registration fee may apply where a contract is submitted more than 30 days after the lease start date. Contracts registered within 30 days incur the standard €10 registration fee. Read the Rent Registration notice.

When must a landlord give non-renewal notice?

For Malta long lets, Rent Registration guidance says that if the lessor does not intend to renew, the lessee must be informed three months before the contract termination date by registered letter. If this is missed, the lease may renew automatically for another year. Read the long-let contract guidance.

What tenant exit dates should Malta landlords understand?

For long lets, the tenant lock-in period depends on the lease term: six months for a one-year lease, nine months for a two-year lease, and twelve months for a lease of three years or more. After that point, tenant notice periods are generally one, two, or three months respectively. These dates matter for vacancy and cashflow planning.

Does Portafoll provide legal or tax advice?

No. Portafoll helps landlords track dates, records, documents, and reminders, but it does not provide legal, tax, or financial advice. Always check the official MTCA and Housing Authority guidance and use a qualified adviser where needed.

What does Portafoll's Malta 15% rental tax estimate show?

The Revenue page estimates the Malta 15% final tax route by applying 15% to the rental income recorded in Portafoll for the selected year. It is designed for planning only and should be checked before you submit anything to MTCA.

What is the difference between recorded rent and scheduled rent?

Recorded rent uses rent collection rows you have actually logged in Portafoll. Scheduled rent uses the rent dates and monthly amounts from your tenancies, so it can help you compare what should have been received against what has been recorded.

Why can I set an income share percentage?

Some landlords only declare part of the rental income, for example where a property is co-owned. The income share lets Portafoll reduce the estimate for that property without modelling every co-owner or changing the tenancy records.

Can Portafoll compare TA24 with progressive tax?

Not in this version. Portafoll focuses on using your portfolio records to estimate the 15% final tax route. For a public comparison between TA24 and progressive tax, you can also check tools such as ROI.mt.

Where can I confirm the Malta 15% rental tax rules?

MTCA publishes guidance for rental income taxed at 15% and the relevant filing route. Portafoll should be treated as a planning aid, not tax advice. Read the MTCA 15% rental income FAQ.

What is the difference between a subscription, document credits, and tenancy add-ons?

A subscription (Monthly or Annual) gives you unlimited access to all premium features, including unlimited document generation and automated rent receipt notifications, for the duration of your membership.

Document Credits are a pay-per-use option. Each credit allows you to generate one official PDF (like the Substitution of Lessee form). Credits never expire and are perfect if you only manage a few properties.

Tenancy Add-ons allow users on the Free plan to buy specific automated features—such as rent receipt notifications—on a per-tenancy basis. These are billed pro-rata based on the remaining duration of that specific tenancy.

Can I cancel my subscription anytime?

Yes! You can cancel your subscription at any time through our Billing Portal. Once cancelled, you will retain access to Pro features until the end of your current billing period.

Can I see what the PDF looks like before using a credit?

Yes! We offer a Free Preview option. This allows you to generate a watermarked version of the document with intentionally scrambled personal data (DRAFT labels). This is perfect for verifying the layout and ensuring all sections are correctly populated before you commit a credit or subscription for the official, clean version.

What happens to my data if I cancel?

All your data remains safe. You will still be able to manage your properties and tenancies on the Free Plan, but you will need an active subscription or a document credit to generate new official forms.

Who can leave reviews?

Landlords can record tenant screening ratings from their tenancy records. Tenants can review landlords and properties from the Tenant Area. Reviews should describe a genuine rental experience.

What does verified mean?

A verified review is linked to a Portafoll user, tenant record, or tenancy record. It means the review is connected to platform data; it does not mean Portafoll guarantees every statement in the review.

What content is allowed?

Reviews should focus on rental conduct: rent payments, property care, communication, lease adherence, maintenance, deposit handling, and similar tenancy matters. Do not include abuse, discrimination, financial account details, government ID numbers, or claims unrelated to the tenancy.

Can a tenant hide or dispute a review?

Tenants can hide written comments shown on their profile while star ratings remain visible. If a review is abusive, inaccurate, or includes private information, contact support and we will review it against the platform rules.

Are screening reviews legal or financial advice?

No. Screening reviews are user-generated rental experiences intended to support your own checks. They should not replace references, documents, legal advice, or your own tenancy due diligence.

How secure is my payment information?

We use Stripe for all our payment processing. Stripe is a globally recognized, PCI-compliant payment gateway. Portafoll never stores your credit card details on our own servers.

Is my data encrypted?

Yes, we take security seriously. Sensitive data like lessee names and emails are encrypted at rest using industry-standard AES-256 encryption.

Housing Authority Malta

Access official rental forms and information directly from the Malta Housing Authority.

Official Rent Registration Forms

Frequently Asked Questions

Features & Usage