Dario Nardella, the mayor of one of Italy’s most popular tourist destinations, said his city would pursue new rules at a local level because he regarded draft nationwide plans to regulate the sector as disappointing.
Under Nardella’s proposal, dubbed “save historic centres”, the mayor plans to block new short-term rental contracts and offer tax breaks to encourage more permanent forms of residence.
Nardella is a member of the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), which is part of the opposition at national level.
As in other European countries, a mixture of low salaries, a property shortage, short-term holiday rentals and high inflation have driven a housing crisis, with low-wage earners and students hit hard in Italy.
The central government is working on a bill, which according to Italian media reports, would require each residential property rented to tourists to have a national identification code to help track and regulate lettings. Those failing to comply would risk a penalty of up to €5,000 (US$5,500).
Additionally, authorities in the most visited cities would have the right to impose a minimum stay of two nights in the context of short rentals in their city centres.
Airbnb did not immediately comment on Nardella’s initiative, but said in a statement that it wanted to see “clear and simple national rules” in Italy.
“We are concerned that proposals regarding one-night stays breach EU and national laws, and we look forward to working with the government to discuss alternative ways forward,” it said.
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