Florence cracks down on key boxes to curb tourist influx
The authorities of Florence have implemented measures to counteract the negative effects of mass tourism and improve the quality of life for residents. A list of new regulations, comprising 10 points, includes a ban on using popular key boxes that allow tourists to enter an apartment without personal contact with the owner.
5:33 PM EST, November 14, 2024
Florence is introducing new measures to curb excessive tourism. These regulations are intended to protect the historical city center from the negative impacts of many visitors.
New regulations in Florence
This week, Mayor Sara Funaro's cabinet approved a 10-point action plan designed to safeguard the local community and preserve the authentic character of the city.
Starting next year, Florence will implement a ban on using key boxes in the historic city center. These boxes have become a symbol of the thriving short-term rental market in the city’s core. Metal boxes, from which tourists pick up keys to rented apartments for self-check-in, indicate the increasing number of apartments available on platforms such as Airbnb.
Critics warn that such practices deprive local residents of access to affordable housing and lead to the depopulation of historic city centers. The city council has announced that these boxes will be banned starting next year in the UNESCO-listed center of Florence "for reasons of decorum and safety."
The city's mayor, Sara Funaro, stated in an interview with the "Telegraph" that she aims to promote "a more sustainable model of tourism, manage tourist numbers and improve the quality of life for residents." She emphasized, "You just have to walk through the city center, and you will see how many key boxes there are on historic palazzi."
Florence has long been fighting short-term rentals
According to the national statistics office ISTAT, Italy was visited by a record 134 million tourists in 2023, and 451 million people stayed in hotels or other registered accommodations. The number of guests using non-hotel accommodations increased by almost 17 percent compared to 2022.
Last year, Florence announced a ban on new short-term private rentals in the city center to stem the outflow of residents.
The city authorities have repeatedly appealed to the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for special regulations that would limit the number of days properties can be rented to 120 per year. So far, only Venice has received permission to limit short-term rentals and has introduced a fee for day-trippers to control the influx of visitors.
