Florence says no to new Airbnbs in its centre

In fact, in the UNESCO-protected old town priority will be given to long-term tenants

The Italian city of Florence has become the latest in a string of European cities to put the brakes on the proliferation of short-term holiday rental services, such as Airbnb. Last week, Mayor Dario Nardella announced that no permits for new Airbnbs and other holiday rentals will be issued. However, the policy is not retroactive meaning that such short-term rentals that had been operating will remain on the market there.

In the context of growing tourist numbers and post-Covid recovery, it means that the influx of visitors seeking to experience a day or two in the Renaissance town will have to look further afield for accommodation.

Can this help the housing shortage?

The new policy defines a ‘short-term’ rental as covering anything under stays of 30 days.

The idea behind the new measure is to help address Florence’s chronic shortage of affordable housing for locals. Over the past couple of decades, thousands of buildings in the city’s city centre have been taken over by short-term rentals, such as Airbnbs, raising the prices and squeezing local residents out of the market. 

The decision was also applauded by Federalberghi, the Italian trade association of hospitality businesses. Its Florence branch president, Francesco Bechi, stated that this would help restore the local community life in the city centre, which is also seen as an inseparable part of the local heritage.

Even more, Mr Bechi, quoted by La Nazione, hoped that this would serve as an “important signal that we hope will also be taken up by the national government, given that the measure hypothesized by the minister on the minimum two-night stay (rule) appears destined not to have great results”.

Other European cities that have decided to restrict short-term holiday rentals in favour of providing more housing for the local residents are Lisbon, Paris and Barcelona.