Short-term rentals, from the centre of Rome to Lake Garda, advertisements sifted out for illicit practices

'There's a whole world around' sang Matia Bazar. Around the advertisements on short rentals there is a world in which the blackness of evasion or squatting sometimes even ends up taking on the connotations of fraud. From the operations for the Jubilee in Rome to those of the provincial commands in the other provinces of Italia (from North to South), the Guardia di Finanza is keeping a close eye on the business of rentals not exceeding 30 days. This is a business that the post-Covid tourist boost in Italy is gradually expanding and in which, in addition to the vast majority of regular and law-abiding operators, there are also a few ill-intentioned individuals who aim to enrich themselves to the detriment of travellers and the Treasury.

The balance of operations concluded in the last year proves this. At the end of February, the Brescia yellow flames announced the results of a capillary operation throughout the province, which encompassed the provincial capital, Lake Garda, and mountain resorts. A total of 32 checks brought to light more than 750 thousand euro subtracted from taxation, seven total evaders, and 13 violations of regional regulations on holiday homes. The checks carried out also concerned the use of non-regulated labour, compliance with the safety regulations of the structures, and guest communication obligations.

A scenario not very different from the one uncovered by the Tione di Trento police. Starting from advertisements published online and on social networks with prices that were too low for the location and the time of year, they launched in-depth investigations through inspections in a series of tourist resorts in Valli Giudicarie, Val Rendena and Valle del Chiese. Result? Sixteen taxpayers were identified who, in five years, had totalled 470 thousand euro of undeclared income from rents.

Even luxury holiday homes do not escape evasion. The provincial command of the Guardia di Finanza of Arezzo, in investigations directed by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Florence, carried out searches and a preventive seizure of assets aimed at confiscation, issued by the Gip of the Court of the regional capital, for over EUR 7.4 million, against the administrator of a foreign company (formally based in the United Kingdom but in fact operating in Italia) in total tax evasion, in the brokerage of luxury tourist rentals.

Sometimes, then, holiday homes are ghosts not only for the tax authorities, but absolutely. This is demonstrated by the operation conducted by the Velletri company and coordinated by the local public prosecutor's office, which uncovered a fraud worth over one million euro. Everything was based on the publication on websites and online platforms of advertisements for flats for short rentals and rooms in bed and breakfasts in Rome. But these were properties that were not available to the advertisers. Once the payments had been made by credit card, the sums flowed into the current accounts of a company set up specifically to collect the proceeds of the scam. From here, the money was quickly transferred via wire transfers to further companies associated with the group, some of which were also based abroad. The investigations also led to the preventive seizure of more than 145,000 euro, discovered on the accounts of the company receiving the payments.