Mass tourism - Florence wants to ban short-term rentals
Florence will prohibit renting apartments in its historical city center for just a few days starting soon. This was announced by the new social democratic mayor of the mid-Italian metropolis, Sara Funaro. Previously, an administrative court in Tuscany had declared objections to the city's plans, which have a population of 360,000, as unlawful.
Florence, with its many museums, churches, and monuments, is one of the Italian cities that suffer particularly from mass tourism. In the historic city center, which has belonged to the World Heritage Site for decades, many tenants have been displaced from their apartments by tourists who stay for only a few days but pay a lot more money. On some days, it is hardly possible to get through the streets around the Cathedral and the Uffizi.
Funaro was elected mayor only last month. In a runoff election, she managed to prevail against Eike Schmidt, the former director of the Uffizi, who ran with the support of the ruling right-wing parties in Rome. The concrete implementation of the new regulation will be addressed by the city council in the next meeting, Funaro announced.
Discussions about a ban on short-term rentals have been ongoing in the Tuscan capital for a long time. Discussions also include tax incentives for property owners who rent out their apartments for regular periods. The historic center of Florence has belonged to the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982.
The prohibition against short-term rentals in Florence's city center is a response to the city's struggle with mass tourism. This issue has led to the displacement of many locals from their apartments. The court in Tuscany previously ruled against Florence's initial plans to prevent this issue, finding them unlawful. Funaro, Florence's new social democratic mayor, has announced that the city council will address the concrete implementation of this regulation in their next meeting.
