Florence triples short-term rental ban zone, becoming Italy's first city to take such action

Until May 2025, tourist apartments were banned only within the UNESCO heritage zone, affecting 35,600 properties. The prohibition now extends to nine residential districts beyond the historic centre, bringing the total number of flats subject to the moratorium to over 100,000—three times the previous figure.

Mayor Sara Funaro described this as Italy's first experiment in controlling tourist lettings outside the city centre. During the first five months of 2026 alone, applications for new permits doubled compared with the second half of 2025, as property owners rushed to secure licences before the ban takes effect on 20 June.

The moratorium will remain in place until 2028. Thereafter, the city will be able to begin gradually reducing the total number of tourist apartments. The mayor emphasised that the measure targets commercial operators rather than small-scale "granny flats" let out for supplementary income.

The decision became possible following two court victories: in December, Italy's Constitutional Court confirmed the right of regions and municipalities to restrict short-term rentals in tourist zones.

Source: The Local Italy