🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Florence, Italy
A city council vote on June 4th would extend the new-listing ban beyond the UNESCO historic centre to 67,780 additional properties across 504 streets, with the freeze expected to take effect June 20th
Florence Triples Its STR Freeze, Pushing Into Nine Residential Neighbourhoods
Photo by Mark Tegethoff on Unsplash
A resolution approved on May 26th extends Florence's new-listing ban from the UNESCO historic centre into nine surrounding residential neighbourhoods, tripling the geographic scope of a freeze in place since May 2025. Pending the June 4th council vote, the freeze is expected to come into force on June 20th and remain in place until 2028.
FAQ: Regulation for Short-Term Tourist Rentals in Florence
When the Regolamento per le Locazioni Turistiche Brevi entered into force on 31 May 2025, it blocked new authorizations across 35,593 properties in the UNESCO-listed historic centre and permitted only those already legally operating in 2024 to continue. When the city confined the freeze to the historic centre, permit activity simply relocated to the neighbourhoods beyond it. Florence issued 270 new STR permits outside the UNESCO zone in the first five months of 2026 compared to just 132 across the final seven months of 2025, with Pignoncino and San Frediano each recording authorization growth rates above 90%.
Airbnb Authorization Form
As Florence expands its short-term rental ban beyond the UNESCO centre, this is the form new Airbnb operators now face before the June 20 crackdown takes effect.
Nine districts now fall under the freeze: Campo di Marte and Le Cure, Gavinana, San Jacopino, Statuto and Rifredi, and Libertà, all within Zone A subzones A3 and A4 of the city's urban planning framework. Together with the historic centre, the combined restricted area covers more than 100,000 properties with 67,780 newly added across 504 streets. While existing operators are unaffected, new unlicensed activity carries fines of €1,000 to €10,000 and risks authorization revocation. With Florence's 16,906 registered STR properties accounting for roughly 56% of all available accommodation beds, the city's exposure to rental market pressure is among the highest in Europe.
Tuscany's Unified Tourism Law gave municipalities the authority to restrict new short-term lets in high-pressure areas, a power the national government challenged before Italy's Constitutional Court and lost in December 2025. The Tuscany Administrative Court (TAR) then dismissed 19 separate appeals against Florence's own regulation in May 2026 after which Mayor Funaro moved immediately on the neighbourhood extension.
Watch Florence Mayor Sara Funaro defend the city’s expanding crackdown on short-term rentals as officials move to extend restrictions beyond the UNESCO historic centre.
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini called the restrictions an "ideological battle" by left-wing mayors while Funaro replied that it is "the uncontrolled explosion of tourist rentals that's emptying the centre of residents." No other major Italian city has enacted comparable measures in residential zones, though several are watching Florence closely. Operators planning new listings on Airbnb or Booking.com should verify zone status now as applications are expected to spike before the June 20th deadline.
⦿ UNESCO historic centre freeze: In force since 31 May 2025; new authorizations blocked except properties operating legally in 2024
⦿ Neighbourhood extension: 9 zones (Zone A, subzones A3–A4); 67,780 properties, 504 streets
⦿ Council vote: June 4, 2026
⦿ Effective date: Expected on June 20, 2026
⦿ Duration: Through May 2028 minimum
⦿ Existing operators: May continue; freeze applies to new authorisations only
⦿ Authorization term: 5 years; tied to owner and specific property — lapses on sale
⦿ Minimum property size: 28 sqm (9 sqm single room/14 sqm double)
⦿ Fines: €1,000–€10,000; possible authorization revocation
⦿ National CIN: Required for all Italian STR operators; must be displayed on all listings
⦿ Legal basis: LRT n. 61, 31 December 2024; upheld by Constitutional Court (Dec 2025) and TAR Tuscany (May 2026)
⦿ National government: Opposed; Deputy PM Salvini has signalled continued resistance
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