Florence Expands Restrictions on New Short-Term Tourist Rentals

Florence City Council has approved an expansion of restrictions on short-term tourist rentals, extending measures already in force in the UNESCO World Heritage area to a wider ring of residential neighbourhoods surrounding the historic centre. The decision marks the latest step in the city’s effort to manage the impact of tourism on housing availability and long-term residency.

The new rules will block the issuance of new authorisations for short-term tourist rentals in several districts, including Campo di Marte, San Jacopino, Gavinana, Statuto, Rifredi, Libertà, Savonarola, Bronzino, Pier Vettori and other nearby areas classified as A3 and A4 zones under Florence’s Municipal Operational Plan. Similar restrictions have already been in place since May 2025 in the UNESCO-listed historic centre, designated as subzone A1.

One year after Florence introduced Italy’s first local regulation

The expansion comes almost exactly one year after Florence became the first Italian city to adopt a specific municipal regulation governing short-term tourist rentals.

The measure follows monitoring and research carried out by the MEMOTEF Department of Rome’s Sapienza University in collaboration with the City of Florence’s statistics office. The study examined the distribution and growth of tourist accommodation across different urban areas and assessed its potential impact on housing and neighbourhood demographics.

According to the research, the historic centre continues to experience extremely high levels of tourist-rental concentration. The analysis also identified significant pressure in the districts immediately surrounding the centre, warning that restrictions limited only to the UNESCO area could push the phenomenon into adjacent neighbourhoods.

Researchers found that the A3 and A4 zones show high levels of tourism-related housing pressure and a strong risk of further growth if no additional controls are introduced. These findings formed the basis for the council’s decision to extend the restrictions.

More than 67,000 homes affected

The newly regulated areas contain approximately 67,780 housing units spread across more than 11 square kilometres (4.3 square miles) of urban territory. By comparison, the UNESCO area already subject to restrictions contains around 35,600 housing units across roughly 5 square kilometres.

City officials argue that aligning the restricted area with existing planning zones ensures a transparent and objective method for determining where the rules apply. Property owners can verify whether their buildings fall within the affected zones through the municipality’s online mapping system.

Tourism continues to grow

The decision comes as Florence experiences another year of strong tourism growth.

According to data processed by the Centro Studi Turistici using figures from Tuscany’s Regional Tourism Observatory, Florence recorded more than 4.7 million arrivals and 11.5 million overnight stays in 2025, increases of 10.2% and 11.1% respectively compared with 2024.

Short-term rentals remain the city’s most widespread accommodation category, with nearly 17,000 registered operations accounting for approximately 56% of all available tourist beds. The overall accommodation supply increased by more than 640 new establishments during the year, while available beds rose by 5.1%. Much of this growth came from short-term rentals and other non-hotel accommodation such as holiday apartments and guesthouses.

Separate monitoring by Inside Airbnb indicates that online listings increased from around 10,900 in 2023 to more than 12,200 in 2026, with roughly 85% located in Florence’s historic centre.

Housing concerns remain central

Florence’s administration has repeatedly argued that the regulation is intended to protect residential life rather than discourage tourism.

The city has cited recent administrative court rulings recognising that local authorities may impose restrictions on short-term rentals when justified by broader public interests such as protecting the urban environment, preserving community life and safeguarding access to housing. Officials have also stressed that the regulation will be monitored continuously and could be adjusted if conditions change in different parts of the city.

The administration has acknowledged that many residents own second homes and rely on rental income. City officials have indicated they are considering future criteria that could better distinguish small non-professional property owners from larger commercial operators.

Existing rules remain in force

The regulation introduced in 2025 remains unchanged in other respects.

Properties used for short-term tourist rentals must obtain a municipal authorisation valid for five years and meet minimum quality standards, including a minimum floor area of 28 square metres. The system also includes a municipal register, labour-compliance requirements, and penalties ranging from €1,000 to €10,000 for violations.

The rules do not apply when owners rent out part of their primary residence while continuing to live in the property.

Additional requirements include compliance with national safety regulations, installation of carbon monoxide and combustible gas detectors, fire extinguishers, and the display of Italy’s national identification code for tourist accommodation. Hosts must also provide multilingual information on waste separation, public transport, local regulations and respectful behaviour within residential buildings and neighbourhoods.

Rising authorisations outside the historic centre

Data released by the municipality suggest that demand for authorisations remains strong despite the restrictions.

During the first five months of 2026, Florence issued 270 authorisations for short-term rentals, already exceeding the 132 granted between June and December 2025. Of the 402 authorisations issued since the regulation came into force, only eight were located inside the UNESCO area. Those cases involved properties already operating as tourist rentals before the restrictions were introduced and therefore remained eligible under transitional provisions.

The latest expansion indicates that Florence intends to continue using planning and housing policy tools to regulate tourism growth, while balancing the city’s role as one of Europe’s most visited destinations with concerns about affordability and residential sustainability.

(Cover photo by Prakriti Khajuria via Unsplash)

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