Airbnb banned in Florence

Florence, one of Italy’s tourist cities, has banned new short-term home rentals for tourists within the historic city center. According to reports in the Italian press, a decision passed by the Florence City Council last night banned new short-term home rentals through platforms such as Airbnb. The city council’s decision also provides for a reduction in housing taxes for homeowners who abandon the short-term rental model and open their homes to long-term rentals. Florence Mayor Dario Nardella stated in a statement on the subject that city residents living in the city center complain about living in apartment hotels and that these decisions are a response to the locals’ call for help. Nardella said that short-term housing rentals have also led to an increase in rental prices in the city, adding, "In 2016, we had just under 6,000 apartments on Airbnb. Today, we have almost 14,378 apartments. During that time, the average cost of regular monthly housing rents increased by 42 percent. In this last year alone, prices have increased by 15.1 percent."