Short rentals, Florence triples the squeeze: stop permits in 100,000 properties

Another 70,000 accommodations spread over an area of more than 11 square kilometres. The Florence city council has just approved the extension of the limits on short tourist rentals, already present in the Unesco area, to a long list of neighbourhoods located outside the centre. This is the first time a local government has introduced such an extensive restriction.

The new restrictions include, above all, a block on new authorisations for short tourist rentals and are contained in the resolution already approved by the junta led by mayor Sara Funaro. A clear political signal after the Regional Administrative Court in recent days had rejected a series of appeals against the regulation that had originally introduced the restrictions in the municipality.

The stop will affect, specifically, the areas of Campo di Marte, San Jacopino, Gavinana, Pignoncino and Paolo Uccello, Statuto and Rifredi, Libertà, Oberdan and Savonarola, Bronzino and Pier Vettori, Fonderia and Petrarca, i.e. sub-zones A3 and A4 of the Municipal Operational Plan. There are a total of 67,780 dwellings in this area, while in sub-zone A1, where the block on the opening of new short-term tourist rentals has already been in force since 31 May 2025, there are 35,593 dwellings. Looking at the areas affected, subzones A3 and A4 correspond to a total of 11.21 square kilometres, while subzone A1 corresponds to approximately 5.05 square kilometres. In fact, the size of the block has been trebled to just over 100,000 dwellings over 16 square kilometres.

The decision was taken on the basis of the scientific results of research by Memotef, the Sapienza University's department dealing with economics and territory. For the historic core (already affected by the blockade) there is talk of "very high pressure, moderate risk, medium-low vulnerability" (restrictions more than justified); for the first belt (affected by the new rules) there is talk of "high pressure (20-44%), high risk (up to +97%) and spillover risk if restrictions remain limited to sub-zone A1". In essence, the problems risk, after the centre, to overwhelm other districts.

'A measure to protect the city, not a battle against someone,' explains mayor Sara Funaro. 'As the TAR rulings have affirmed, the general interest can justify limitations on short tourist rentals to protect the urban environment, the social fabric and the right to live. These are the principles that inspire this regulation and the further actions we are taking to protect the city and housing. We are aware that this regulation is not enough, and on housing we are working with a series of actions, from investments in public housing, to allocate more and more housing, to the EIB study for social housing".