Key Takeaways
- Tuscany’s regional court rejected 19 appeals against Florence’s STR restrictions in its UNESCO historic centre.
- The ruling validates municipal authority to cap vacation rentals for urban preservation and housing goals.
- Florence plans to extend STR limits beyond the historic centre following the legal victory.
An Italian court has upheld Florence’s year-old restrictions on short-term rentals in the city’s historic area, rejecting 19 appeals from operators and property owners who challenged the regulations.
The rulings, published May 13 in a Tuscany regional court, support regulations introduced by the City of Florence in May 2025 that prohibit new STR registrations in the UNESCO-listed historic centre and impose quality standards on existing listings.
According to Florence Daily News, the mayor said Florence now plans to extend some limits on tourist rentals to areas outside the historic centre.
What the ruling means for operators
The court found that protecting urban environments and preserving historical heritage constitute legitimate grounds for restricting vacation rentals, even when operators claim violations of property rights.
Property Managers Italia reacted negatively to the judgments, with association president Lorenzo Fagnoni arguing that limiting short-term rentals would not solve Florence’s structural housing problems.
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The decision follows a December 2024 Italian Constitutional Court ruling that validated Tuscany’s regional tourism law, giving municipalities authority to cap STR listings in high-tourism zones.
The Florence case has become one of the most significant legal tests in Italy over how far local authorities can go in regulating tourist rentals in historic city centres facing heavy tourism pressure.
With Florence preparing to expand restrictions beyond the historic centre, operators in Italian tourism cities face an increasingly constrained regulatory environment.
