From bill to decree law with the possibility, according to some rumors, to be already on the table of one of the next Councils of Ministers. While the Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanchè is engaged in an international mission between China and Korea, the issue of short-term rentals is becoming increasingly hot and in these hours a draft decree-law (and no longer a bill) is circulating with urgent provisions for the regulation of leases of residential properties for tourism purposes.
A confirmation of the possibility that the provision will turn into a decree, also comes from the words of the deputy of Fratelli d'Italia Gianluca Caramanna, national manager of the party's Tourism Department, according to whom "it is not true that the decree law on short rentals has been skipped. As far as I know, the text will be ready in days."
The biggest news there had been in the update between the version of the end of May to the one circulated at the beginning of September but certainly the decree law would give a decisive final acceleration and in this new version there are new filings. One of these is that "the lease for tourist purposes concerning one or more residential properties, in the municipalities capitals of metropolitan cities cannot have a duration of less than two consecutive nights, except for the hypothesis in which the tenant is constituted by a family unit with at least three children". It therefore remains the Minimum Stay of two nights in the municipalities capitals of metropolitan cities (for stays of one night, therefore, the only possible solution will be to resort to traditional accommodation facilities) but the variable of large families is reintroduced. The limit of apartments that the same owner can allocate to short rent is confirmed at two. Above the lease is considered an economic activity and, therefore, the owner must open the VAT number. The Cin, National Identification Code, and the obligations of safety, fire prevention and monoxide equipment have also been confirmed.
"We express appreciation for a government that has finally decided to get its hands on a thorny matter and that saw us as the Cinderella of the world, the only country that had not legislated on short-term rentals - says to ANSA the president of Federalberghi Bernabò Bocca - but I frankly laugh when they say that this is a decree made for the needs of hoteliers. For us, the right rule is the one made by New York. And that is, since we are told that short-term rentals are used to protect private property and to supplement income, in my house private property is where you live. Instead with this rule you buy two apartments and make a business for 365 days a year with short term rentals. This is not income supplement and it is not private property but it is a commercial activity". According to Federturismo Confindustria in Italy there are over 500,000 apartments and rooms offered with the formula of short rent for tourist purposes, "the result of a total absence of market regulation that in many centers has created problems of overtourism. It is now essential to speed up the approval process."
Very unhappy the 14 representatives of the real estate and tourism sector (Abbav, Aigab, Breve, Confassociazioni Real Estate, Confedilizia, Fare, Fiaip, Host + Host, Host Italia, Myguestfriend, Ospitami, Prolocatur, Property Managers Italia, Rescasa Lombardia) who with a joint document reject the provision considered "strongly detrimental to the right to property", "deeply illiberal and in many of its parts contrary to constitutional principles" and "above all clearly targeted to oppose the rental of private homes".
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