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Italy: A national identification code [CIN] is about to come into force in Italy, with the new national database platform expected to be fully operational by 1 September 2024.
To date, the National Database of accommodation facilities and properties for short-term rental or for tourism purposes [BDSR] is active so far in the regions of Abruzzo, Calabria, Liguria, Lombardy, Marche, Molise, Puglia, Sardinia, Sicily and Veneto. With the introduction of new laws in Italy, however, the new database platform and penalties for failing to provide a CIN will come into effect from the start of next month.
The new rules must come into effect no later than 1 September, including launching the national database and the telematic portal through which short-term rental property owners will be assigned a CIN. However, no sanctions for non-compliance will be applied before that date.
As per a decree signed in June, the CIN will be mandatory for all holiday and short-term rentals [under 30 days], and will be assigned by Italy’s Ministry of Tourism.
Professional short-term rental property managers and private hosts will be required to submit an application electronically through a specific section of the tourism portal, and in order to obtain a CIN, they must provide the following information:
- The type of accommodation that they are renting out
- The location of the accommodation
- How many people the accommodation can cater for
- The owner / landlord / host who is renting out the property
- A regional identification code, where adopted, or a unique alphanumeric code
The CIN in Italy will not only be mandatory for short-term rentals, but also for any properties with rental contracts for tourism purposes, and other tourist accommodation facilities including hotels.
Once a CIN has been issued by the Ministry of Tourism, property owners are obliged to display it outside the building where the property is located, and to display it clearly on a listing, in order to comply with urban and landscape restrictions.
Owners, landlords or hosts who rent out properties without a CIN could be liable for a fine of between €800 and €8,000, depending on the size of the property. Meanwhile, those who fail to display the CIN [having a code but not displaying it] could face a fine of between €500 and €5,000.
Property owners, hosts, citizens [if they want to verify the existence of a CIN at a rental / hotel etc] and regions / autonomous provinces / municipalities can access / begin the CIN assignment procedure at this link.
The laws are due to come into effect six months after the European Parliament definitively adopted new requirements on data collection and sharing on short-term rental services across the European Union [EU], as it seeks to promote a “transparent and responsible” online platform economy.
Those who are unsure about the new regulations in Italy are advised to contact their tourism associations of which they may be a member, including AIGAB [Associazione Italiana Gestori Affitti Brevi] and ANBBA [Associazione Nazionale dei B&B e Affittacamere].
Check out our recent podcast here with AIGAB president Marco Celani, in which we discussed the regulatory landscape in Italy, the wider causes of the international affordable housing shortage, and his insights on the so-called ‘overtourism’ debate.
