Short rentals, Santanchè: 'keyboxes' are a security issue, I will discuss it with Piantedosi

The short-term tourist rental 'keyboxes' (or 'lockboxes') are safes that keep the keys outside the accommodation to allow the guest of a flat given in short-term tourist rental to do the 'self check-in'. Against what has become the symbol of overtourism has engaged a battle the mayor of Florence Sara Funaro (and in recent days there had been symbolic actions of protest by Florentine citizen committees). Even for the Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanchè the 'tourist boxes' are a problem: aesthetic but above all security.

He said this on the sidelines of the G7 Tourism Summit that opened this morning with the arrival at Palazzo Vecchio of heads of delegations from France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, United States and Canada joined by the heads of delegations from Brazil, Egypt, India and Saudi Arabia, the OECD and Un Tourism (the Madrid-based UN agency dealing with tourism). "Honestly, I agree with what Mayor Funaro said," the minister emphasised. "First of all, they are really ugly from an aesthetic point of view because they are placed on these wonderful buildings, but above all I also question the issue of security.

For tourist leases of a duration of 30 days or less, the owner or manager of the property is obliged to disclose the identity of guests within 24 hours of their arrival via the Police web portal Alloggiati Web. With selfcheck in, however, it is not possible to verify the correspondence between documents and identity of the person renting the property.

In this way, the minister remarked, 'people come into our apartment buildings, into our homes, people who are not identified, who take the key and enter the flat, and this I believe also conflicts with our nation's security laws'. Asked whether he will address this issue with Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi Santanchè replied: 'Certainly, as always we will have a discussion, but an issue has arisen that exists and now we must study what the best solutions are'.

Santanchè reported that he had broached the subject 'this morning before starting the G7 with Mayor Funaro and we agreed to talk in the coming days. I have always said that we must work with all levels of institutions, so I am ready to do so. It's not that we have differences, let's try to solve it together'.