By Silvia Ognibene
FLORENCE, Italy, May 27 (Reuters) – Florence is planning a major expansion of restrictions on new short-term tourist rentals, extending a ban beyond its UNESCO-listed historic centre, in a new attempt to ease housing pressure in one of Italy’s most visited cities.
The measure, which Mayor Sara Funaro has called a national first, is due to be presented to a city council committee on Wednesday, with the aim of securing approval in early June.
It will prevent the creation of new short-term tourist lets across about 16 square kilometres (6 square miles) of the city for two years, nearly tripling the total number of homes covered by the ban to more than 103,000, from 35,593 at present.
The proposal does not reduce the number of existing short-term rentals, but would stop new ones being activated once it takes effect. Airbnb did not immediately comment on the plan.
URGENT PROCEDURE
Florence, like other European tourism hotspots, has struggled with the spread of short-term holiday rentals, rising rents and complaints that local residents are being squeezed out of central districts.
“The objective is clear, to continue our commitment to protecting residential life and guaranteeing a sustainable balance between tourism and the daily lives of our citizens,” Funaro told Reuters.
The mayor has requested an urgent procedure to prevent a rush of registrations before the rules enter into force.
“The data show that in our city the phenomenon of short-term tourist rentals has grown very significantly,” she said.
The move follows a 2023 decision by Florence to ban new short-term residential lets in the historic centre. That measure was challenged by opponents, but the city has since won a series of rulings before the regional administrative court.
A moratorium protecting existing short-term rentals expires on May 31, 2028. After that date, the city plans to start reducing the numbers of holiday lets. Funaro said the city would look to favour small local owners using an apartment to supplement their income over operators working on a business basis.
CRITICS SAY BAN ‘CRIMINALISES’ TOURISM ENTREPRENEURSHIP
However, opponents of the restrictions say the earlier curbs have failed to bring residents back to the city centre or meaningfully lower ordinary rents.
“Despite this, (the city) now decides to extend the bans to neighbourhoods outside the centre, continuing to hit citizens, small owners and hospitality-related businesses,” Lorenzo Fagnoni, president of Property Managers Italia and chief executive of Apartments Florence, told Reuters.
He said short-term rentals supported property managers, cleaners, maintenance workers, technicians, artisans and hospitality professionals.
He added that “criminalising entrepreneurial activity in tourism” would damage an important part of the city economy.
(Writing by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Alvise Armellini and Alison Williams)
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