Florence bans tourist lets in nine neighbourhoods; Sardinia watches mainland model

Florence's city council gave final approval on Thursday to expand Italy's first short-term rental freeze beyond the historic centre, covering nine residential neighbourhoods where Airbnb-type listings have surged. The Local Italy reported that the expansion represents an escalation in Italy's response to what authorities describe as a housing crisis driven partly by the conversion of residential apartments into tourist accommodation.

The policy reflects a broader pattern across Italian cities. The Local Italy noted that in the absence of national restrictions on tourist rentals, major cities including Venice, Rome, and Milan have begun implementing their own controls. Florence's move is the most expansive to date, suggesting that local governments see short-term rentals as a primary driver of rising housing costs and resident displacement.

For Sardinia, the mainland's rental restrictions signal a shift in how Italy's tourism economy is being managed—one that carries implications for the island's own tourism model, particularly the luxury sector concentrated on the Costa Smeralda. While Florence battles the democratisation of tourism through platforms like Airbnb, Sardinia's challenge is different: managing the environmental and social impact of high-end coastal tourism while preserving an increasingly fragile interior.