Florence, Italy To Regulate Short-Term Rentals To Fight Overtourism

As with many popular destinations in Europe and the world, Florence in Italy is taking steps to curb overtourism and confront a rental crisis for locals. In many cases, residents are unable to find affordable rentals in the city, leading to Florence taking steps to fight the problem.

Florence, Italy fighting short-term rentals and overtourism

In a bid to combat the many challenges of overtourism, authorities in Florence, Italy have issued a mandate requiring the removal of self-check-in key boxes for vacation rental properties by February 25. The new regulation forms part of the local government’s broader effort to mitigate overtourism’s impact on the historic and beautiful city.

Vacation rental platforms like Airbnb often use key boxes to allow guests to check in independently. This eliminates the need for face-to-face key exchanges and check-ins with the property owner. Meanwhile, the guests are handed the code for the key box, which they open on arrival at the property. However, these key boxes have attracted criticism in the past for aesthetic and security concerns.

Emphasizing the city’s commitment to enforcing the ban, Florence Mayor Sara Funaro stated in a recent television interview:

Next week we will go to check where the ban on key boxes is not respected, and then we will remove them.

According to city officials, noncompliance with the new rule could lead to property owners being fined up to 400 euros ($417.20).

Other cities in Italy taking similar steps

Similar measures have been taken by other popular Italian tourist hotspots including Venice and Rome. Those cities are also taking measures to curb visitor numbers, while residents voice their concerns over the shortage of affordable housing in the cities. Meanwhile, hoteliers have reported that vacation rentals are severely impacting their businesses.

Meanwhile, at the national level, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s administration has also introduced regulations, requiring in-person guest identification upon check-in for vacation rentals.

Moreover, Massimo Torelli, spokesman for the Let’s Save Florence to Live in It campaign told Reuters that his activist group had been marking the check-in boxes ready for removal by painting them with a red cross.

According to Torelli, the key boxes aren’t just located on the actual vacation rental. He said the check-in boxes are “everywhere, on the bicycle racks and on the street light poles,” adding that:

Florence is dying of uncontrolled tourism.

Moreover, he expressed the hope that the new policy will contribute to reducing the number of vacation rental apartments in the Renaissance-era city. Reportedly, this currently stands at around 15,000. Torelli hopes this will bring around a drop to some 7,000 to 8,000, making way for more long-term and affordable housing options for Florence’s residents.