Stop short-term rentals in the historic center of Florence

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Stop short-term rentals in the historic center of Florence. Dario Nardella, mayor of the capital, has decided to ban the use of residential properties for short-term tourist rentals, the hospitality model typical of platforms such as Airbnb and the like, throughout the UNESCO area of ​​the historic centre. The ban does not have retroactive effect and the mayor has decided that he will pass a council resolution to introduce a change to the municipal operational plan. The goal is to support the residence in the historical centre.

“We realize that it is a daring law – said the mayor – juridically daring, but we are aware that we can legally defend it. If we don’t try to take politically disruptive actions, no one makes a move: we’re tired of announcements, the problem has become structural. We will use the tax lever for all those who want to collaborate and go back: the owners of properties, currently intended for short-term rentals, who want to return to long-term rentals, will have an incentive from our administration, the zeroing of the Imu second home for three years. An average apartment in the center pays more than 2,000 euros a year in IMU as a second home». Nardella deems the draft on short-term tourist rentals being worked on by Daniela Santanchè, Minister of Tourism, unsatisfactory, «but our willingness to collaborate remains. We share the goal, which is to face the risk of oversized tourism, safeguard housing and prevent depopulation. The problem is that this proposal does not contain any useful and effective tool for addressing the issues of housing, high rents and the impact of tourist flows”.

For the mayor, the only positive point contained in the draft «is the presence of a census system, setting the minimum limit of two days for rent is useless, in a city like ours the average stay of tourists is 2, 9 nights». And for those who transgress “the contract is null and void, but there is no financial penalty”. Finally Nardella underlines “there is no planning and regulation tool entrusted to local administrations: the mayors are ignored, unlike what happens in the other main European countries such as France, Spain, Holland”.