(Finance) – The rules for short-term rentals for tourism purposes are changing to counteract the tendency towards desertification of the historic centers of art cities. The Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanche delivered the revised text of the proposed legislation to interested parties, in an attempt to find shared solutions.
The legislation implements a real crackdown on short-term rentalsassigning a National identification code (CIN) to the apartments e tightening sanctions for those who violate the new rules, with fines of up to 8 thousand euros (up to 5 thousand euros for those who rent an apartment for less than 2 days). In fact, to curb hit-and-run tourism, an S“minimum stay” option equal to 2 nights.
The new rules, which aim to combat the desertification of cities, follow the similar trend that is occurring globally. For example, in New Yorka new “local law” makes a “census” mandatory of owners and tenants of rental apartments, who are required to register in specific register before being able to place their adverts on apps such as Airbnb, Vrbo and other short-term rental platforms. For offenders there is one fine of 5 thousand dollars for every infringement committed.
“A specific intervention on short-term rentals has been expected for many years and it seems to me that no one, before us, neither the left which was in government for 10 years, nor those mayors who today are calling for urgent interventions, has ever wanted to address an issue regarding such a complex and thorny topic”, the Minister of Tourism declared in a post on Facebook Daniela Santanche.
Commenting on the legislation, Federalberghi Rome he expressed appreciation for the “commitment of the Minister of Tourism Santanché in modifying the original text of the DDL on short-term rentals and its category listening skillsbut believes that the measure is necessary some essential amendments“. These include the raising of the so-called minimum stay from 2 to 3 days and the proposal to impose the change of destination from residential to commercial with all the regulations and taxation that follows, and that it is possible to rent only if the host lives in the apartment.