Florence may extend short-term rental limits beyond historic centre

Mayor Sara Funaro said the city is considering new restrictions on short-term tourist rentals in residential areas outside Florence’s historic centre, following a Constitutional Court ruling that upheld Tuscany’s regional tourism law.

Sara Funaro said the decision by the Corte Costituzionale strengthens Florence’s regulatory framework and allows the city to move forward with further measures aimed at containing the spread of short-term rentals.

The ruling rejected an appeal by the national government led by Giorgia Meloni against the regional tourism law approved by the Regione Toscana in December 2024. The law gives municipalities with high tourist pressure, including Florence, the power to set limits on short-term rentals in specific parts of the city.

Possible new “homogeneous zones” outside the centre

Florence has already introduced restrictions in the UNESCO-listed historic centre. According to Funaro, the next step could involve selected neighbourhoods beyond the ring roads, where short-term rentals have reportedly increased since the city centre rules came into force.

In January, the municipality is due to receive a study commissioned from Filippo Celata, a professor at Sapienza University of Rome and a specialist in overtourism and short-term rentals. The research analyses how listings on platforms such as Airbnb have shifted towards peripheral districts.

Funaro said the study will help identify “homogeneous zones” outside the historic centre, where different approaches could be adopted, ranging from closer monitoring to the introduction of caps and limits.

More checks and coordination

On the same day, the city signed a new protocol with the Guardia di Finanza to strengthen inspections in the tourist accommodation sector. The agreement aims to improve checks on compliance with existing rules in a market that city officials describe as increasingly fragmented and difficult to regulate.

According to the mayor, the growth of short-term rentals has contributed to rising housing costs, the spread of very small units and the conversion of garages and commercial spaces into makeshift accommodation, making it harder for residents to find long-term housing.

January meeting with platforms and professionals

Funaro also announced that in January the city will convene a meeting at Palazzo Vecchio with all relevant stakeholders, together with tourism councillor Jacopo Vicini.

The meeting will involve online rental platforms, estate agents, condominium managers and professionals involved in property transactions. The aim is to encourage the publication of compliant listings and to facilitate the reporting of possible irregularities.

City officials say any new measures will be discussed after the results of the January study are reviewed, with decisions expected in the following months.

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