Ministry survey: holiday rentals reach 590,000

To date, the National Database of accommodation facilities contains 590,291 listings, of which 506,296 already hold the Cin, the mandatory alphanumeric code that identifies accommodation facilities, farm stays and properties intended for short-term and holiday rentals in Italy. The update was provided yesterday by the Minister for Tourism, Gianmarco Mazzi, during Question Time in the Chamber of Deputies. In his response to a question from Avs group leader Luana Zanella, Mazzi noted that ‘with the feature known as Lens, available from 2025, the database has provided municipal authorities, the Guardia di Finanza and the local police with practical support for carrying out checks on accommodation facilities and on advertisements published online’ (see *Il Sole 24 Ore* of 9 October). In 2026, the minister continued, “the access system was significantly expanded, making it possible, via the CIN, to verify tax flows and tax returns relating to short-term lettings, thereby combating the black economy and tax evasion”.

The short-term lettings dossier includes the Affordable Housing Act, a proposal for a regulation presented by the European Commission on 9 September 2026, which provides local authorities with a common legal basis for restricting tourist lettings in areas experiencing severe housing pressure. This measure has been heavily criticised by the Minister for Tourism, who has on several occasions referred to it as a threat to Europe’s middle class.

A meeting is scheduled for today at the ministry in Via di Villa Ada with all representatives of the hotel and non-hotel accommodation sector which, as Mazzi explained, ‘with a view to dialogue and discussion, aims to listen to the concerns of the stakeholders and to identify, where possible, courses of action to be agreed upon jointly. We want to build a practical partnership between institutions and operators and promote a transparent and responsible offering, seeking a balance between the expectations of domestic and international tourists, the fight against illegal operations, the protection of property owners, the needs of residents, and the availability of accommodation for families, students and young couples’.