Imagine a summer from a few years ago. A seaside apartment, a hastily written Airbnb listing, a few phone-snapped photos—and puff—bookings rolling in like waves. No codes to request, no police station to notify. You just opened the door to guests and cashed the checks. Those were the days, right? But wake up: it’s 2025, and the world of short-term rentals has turned into a maze of rules, codes, and portals. The good news? It’s not as complicated as it seems. With this guide, I’ll walk you through the five key steps to launch your short-term rental business in Italy—and come out without a headache.

Why All This Regulatory Chaos?

Once upon a time, short-term rentals were the Wild West, where anyone with a spare room could feel like a hotelier. Then tourism boomed, municipalities smelled the profits from tourist taxes, and the government decided it was time to impose order. The result? Stricter regulations, tighter controls, and some owners, scared off, switched to long-term leases. But that’s not you, is it? You’re here to turn your apartment into an opportunity—and do it legally. Here are the five steps to get started on the right foot.

1. SCIA at SUAP: Your Entry Ticket

What’s This SUAP?

Think of the SUAP (Sportello Unico per le Attività Produttive, or Single Desk for Productive Activities) as your municipality’s front desk: it’s where you knock to say, “Hey, I want to rent my place to tourists!” It’s an online portal that streamlines your interaction with bureaucracy. Every municipality has one, and your job is to use it to notify them of your start.

Why Do You Need a SCIA?

The SCIA (Segnalazione Certificata di Inizio Attività, or Certified Start of Activity Notification) is your “green light.” You tell the municipality your apartment is ready for guests, and they take note. The beauty? You don’t wait for approval: submit the SCIA and start immediately, subject to later inspections. It’s like saying, “Trust me, I’m compliant!”

How to Do It, Step by Step?

• Visit Impresa in un Giorno, the national portal linking you to your municipality’s SUAP.
• Look for the short-term rental section (usually under “Tourism” or “Accommodation Activities”).
• Fill out the form with your details (name, tax code) and the property’s details (address, cadastral data). You’ll need SPID, so ensure you have it.
• Attach required documents: often just a copy of your ID and cadastral data, though some municipalities may request a floor plan or habitability certificate.
• Submit with a click. Done! You’re now an official host, and the municipality will provide your CIR.

Tip? Check your municipality’s website for exact details. Milan, Rome, or a mountain village—each SUAP has its quirks. A quick call to the SUAP office can clear things up in five minutes.

2. VAT Number: The Big Dilemma

Do You Need It or Not?

Here’s the million-euro question. The VAT number (Partita IVA) can be intimidating, but it’s not the monster it seems. It depends on how you manage your short-term rental. Let’s clarify with a story.

When You Can Skip It

Imagine you’re Marco, owner of a little house in Puglia. You rent it out for three weeks in the summer, no big deal: guests come and go, you collect the money, and declare it in your tax return with the 21% flat-rate tax. No organized cleaning, no professional check-ins. In this case, you’re a private individual renting “occasionally.” No VAT number needed.

When It’s Mandatory

Now picture Laura, who owns two apartments in Florence. She rents them year-round on Airbnb, with a booking calendar that rivals a ministerial agenda, offering cleaning, linens, and even a welcome kit with a bottle of Chianti. Laura isn’t just a private individual anymore: her activity is “habitual and organized.” The Italian Revenue Agency looks at her and says, “Dear, get a VAT number.” The same applies if you manage multiple properties or operate as a company.

How to Decide?

Ask yourself: “Is this a sporadic activity or a structured business?” If you rent only occasionally, you’re fine. But if your apartment is a constant stream of tourists with a polished system, it’s wiser to open a VAT number to avoid tax surprises. An accountant can crunch the numbers: the flat-rate regime is a breeze for beginners.

3. Portale Alloggiati: The Police Are Watching

Why the Police?

You’re not James Bond, but hosting tourists makes you somewhat responsible for security. By law, you must report your guests’ details (name, surname, ID) to the State Police within 24 hours of their arrival—even for a single-night stay.

What’s the Portale Alloggiati?

It’s the online system where you register who’s sleeping at your place. It sounds complex, but it’s simpler than an airport check-in.

How It Works?

• Visit Portale Alloggiati.
• Fill out the credential request form with your property details (address, activity type).
• Submit the request. After a few days (sometimes less), you’ll receive a username and password via email.
• Log in and enter guest data: name, ID, stay dates. One click per check-in.

Caution

In theory, it’s all digital. In practice, some old-school police stations might require an in-person visit for the first access. Check your local police station’s website to avoid surprises. And don’t forget: delays or omissions can lead to fines. Better to be punctual.

4. Tourist Tax: Staying Compliant with the Municipality

What Is It?

If your municipality is a tourist destination (think Rome, Venice, or even small villages), it likely charges a tourist tax. Guests pay it—between 2 and 6 euros per night, depending on the city—but you’re responsible for collecting and remitting it.

How to Register?

– Visit your municipality’s website and find the “Tourist Tax” section (usually prominent). Example: Comune di Milano.

– Access the dedicated portal, often with SPID or credentials provided by the municipality.

– Register your property and get an account to manage payments.

– Monthly or quarterly, report your collections and submit the amount.

Practical Example

In Milan, in 2025, the tax is 6.30 euros per person per night (max 14 nights). If you host a couple for three days, you collect 37.80 euros and remit it to the municipality by the deadline. Simple, right? Just keep a spreadsheet (or rely on a property manager like us to handle it).

Watch for Exceptions

Some municipalities exempt children, students, or long stays. Check the local regulations to avoid mistakes.

5. CIR and CIN: The Codes That Name Your Apartment

Two Codes, One Goal

CIR and CIN are like the first and last name of your property: they identify you in the sea of short-term rentals. Without them, you don’t exist to platforms or authorities.

Your Adventure Is About to Begin

We’ve reached the end of the journey. Five steps—SCIA, VAT number (maybe), Portale Alloggiati, Tourist Tax, CIR, and CIN—and you’re ready to turn your apartment into a little profit machine. Sounds like a lot? With some organization, you can handle it all in a week. And the costs? If you DIY, it’s just your time. If you hire an accountant, budget 200–300 euros to get everything in order.

Or there’s another path. At Xenia, we handle every bureaucratic detail—from SCIA to CIN, from the police to the tourist tax—without extra costs for owners who choose us. Want to rent stress-free? Contact us and discover how to make your apartment a success story, without a single headache.

Ready to Write the Next Chapter?

Short-term rentals aren’t the game they once were, but they’re still a golden opportunity. Whether you’re in Milan, Rome, a mountain cabin, or a seaside house, 2025 is the year to start. And with this guide, you know exactly where to begin.

Imagine Milan, spring 2015: the Expo is about to open its doors, and the city is gearing up for an influx of tourists from every corner of the world. It’s the dawn of a revolution: short-term rentals are about to take off. Airbnb and Booking are still young platforms in a market that feels like a no-man’s-land. Few controls, vague rules, and a huge opportunity for owners. But that was just the beginning of the story. Today, in 2025, the landscape has changed dramatically, and for anyone looking to rent an apartment in Milan (or any other Italian city), understanding the regulations is essential to avoid mistakes. I’ll tell you how it unfolded and what you need to know to stay compliant today.

The Big Bang of Short-Term Rentals: Post-Expo Milan

It all starts with the Expo. Milan transforms into a magnet for travelers, and owners discover that an empty apartment can become a goldmine. It’s 2017 when Decree Law 50/2017 (link) officially defines short-term rentals as leases under 30 days, with no obligation to register with the Italian Revenue Agency. Simple, right? But the simplicity doesn’t last long. Demand grows, tourism expands, and the government realizes more order is needed.

In 2018, the city of Milan alone counts over 18,000 listings on Airbnb (link).

The Pre-Covid Era: Rules Exist, But Who Enforces Them?

At first, regulations exist, but there are no systems to enforce them. Want to rent? Just post an online listing and sign a contract with each guest. There’s no trace of identification codes or mandatory portals. It’s the Wild West of short-term rentals: anyone can try, and many succeed without too many questions. Then 2020 arrives, and the world stops. Six months of silence, and the market seems on the brink of collapse.

Post-Covid: The Boom and Initial Countermeasures

Tourism rebounds stronger than ever. Milan fills with events, demand explodes, and so does the supply. But the government isn’t standing idly by. In 2023, the DAC7 framework (link) comes into force, a European directive that requires digital platforms, like OTAs (e.g., Airbnb, Booking), to report income generated by their users—such as hosts and property owners—to the Italian Revenue Agency. Introduced to combat tax evasion and ensure transparency in online transactions, DAC7 mandates platforms to transmit data on earnings, transactions, and seller identities. At the same time, scrutiny on the flat-rate tax (cedolare secca) intensifies: this 21% tax regime for short-term rentals becomes more closely monitored, making it mandatory to declare income earned through platforms, with no room for omissions.

In the same year, Milan’s tourist tax doubles, rising from 3.00€ to 6.30€ per person per night (up to 14 days). It’s a sign: the market is too lucrative to leave unregulated.

After steady growth until 2019 and an inevitable decline during Covid, the sector regained strength, peaking in September 2023 with 24,177 listings—a 35% increase from 2018.

2024: The National Turning Point

Meanwhile, as of May 10, 2024, the flat-rate tax changes (link): from the second property onward, you pay 26%, an incentive to favor long-term leases. And in Milan, the municipality bans safety boxes on street poles: goodbye to the old trick of impromptu self check-in. In the second half of 2024, the National Identification Code (CIN) is introduced (link), requested via the “Impresa in un Giorno” portal (link). But why a new code when the CIR already existed? Introduced in 2015, the CIR varied in name and rules by region—e.g., CIR in Lombardy, IUN in Sardinia, CIS in Piedmont—creating a regulatory mess that fueled tax evasion and irregular listings on platforms like Airbnb and Booking. The CIN complements the CIR, unifying the system into a national database managed by the Ministry of Tourism. The goal? Track every property, tackle millions of euros in undeclared income, and ensure safety with standard requirements, protecting tourists and favoring hotels and B&Bs. The CIN became mandatory from January 2025. Platforms adapt: without a CIN, your listing won’t go live.

2025: Safety and Total Control

We’re at the present moment. January 2025 marks a new chapter. Every apartment must have a 10-liter fire extinguisher and, if not fully electric, dual carbon monoxide and gas detectors. A circular from the Ministry of the Interior to Italian police stations (link) attempts to enforce in-person check-ins, but the Property Managers’ Association (AIGAB) prevails: self check-in remains, provided it’s digital and traceable (link). It’s the Jubilee year, and Italy wants order without stifling tourism. In Milan, with over 24,000 active listings (link), compliance is no longer optional: fines up to 8,000 euros await those who break the rules.

Tourism in Milan: Data and Trends

Tourism evolves, and so do the rules. Since 2015, the Reference Identification Code (CIR) (link) has been mandatory for those renting on platforms like Booking and Airbnb. Obtaining it requires submitting a SCIA to Milan’s SUAP, a process that in 2025 is completed via SPID, with cadastral data and at least two weeks of waiting. With the CIR, hosts access regional portals to transmit tourism statistics, such as “Ross1000” in Lombardy (link), and the State Police’s Portale Alloggiati (link), where they register guest data within 24 hours of arrival. It’s the first step toward a more structured and transparent system across Italy.

Short-term rentals in Milan continue to thrive, concentrating in central neighborhoods like Porta Venezia, Duomo, Brera, Sarpi, and Stazione Centrale (link). Demand has grown steadily: in 2024, it rose by 4% compared to 2023, despite a slight decline in available listings (link). The average nightly rate increased from 164€ in 2023 to 174€ in 2024, reflecting strong demand pressure and limited property availability. This dynamic is driven by several factors: the return of international tourism post-pandemic, with events like Fashion Week and the Salone del Mobile attracting millions of visitors, has made central neighborhoods magnets for travelers. Additionally, anticipation for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics has already spurred investments in tourist rentals.

Your Guide for 2025

Today, short-term renting requires careful navigation. Start with the SCIA at SUAP for the CIR, then request the CIN. Register guests on the Portale Alloggiati and Ros1000, complete the relevant procedures, sign a contract with them (without depositing it), and collect the tourist tax. Pay the flat-rate tax—21% or 26%—and keep your documents in order. Sounds complicated? It is, but it shouldn’t scare you. With some preparation—or a property manager like us—you can turn your apartment into a reliable income source.

Want to know how to start from scratch? Read our Guide to Bureaucratic Requirements (#) or discover how Xenia makes self check-in simple and compliant with Self Check-in Management with Xenia (#).

Imagine a traveler from the 1980s. Suitcase in hand, crumpled map, arriving at a hotel after an endless flight. At the reception, a line of tired guests, a clerk tapping away at a prehistoric computer, and finally—after signatures, documents, and polite smiles—here it is: the key. There was no choice, no alternative. Check-in was a slow, face-to-face ritual because technology simply couldn’t offer more. But travelers, deep down, were already dreaming of something else: arriving whenever they wanted, without waiting for anyone. Today, in 2025, that dream is a reality. Self check-in has turned the rules of hospitality upside down, and this is the story of how we got here—and how Xenia is making it simpler, safer, and (listen up!) free.

When Check-in Was an Odyssey

Let’s go back. In the 1990s, the height of modernity was a landline phone to confirm a booking. Hotels dominated the hospitality world, and in-person check-in wasn’t a choice: it was the only option. Not because travelers loved chatting with the receptionist, but because there was no other way. Locks were mechanical, keys were heavy as ingots, and the idea of entering a room at 2 a.m. without waking someone? Science fiction. Yet, the desire for freedom was there, just waiting for technology to set it free.

Then came the internet. Online bookings, platforms like Airbnb, smart locks: the world opened up. Travelers began demanding flexibility, and hospitality had to adapt. Self check-in didn’t emerge because we suddenly stopped loving human contact. It came about because, at last, we could meet a need that had always existed: arriving without constraints, on our own terms.

The Voice of Travelers: “Give Us Autonomy!”

It’s not just a feeling. The numbers speak for themselves. According to the 2024 Mews Survey (HotelSpeak), nearly 80% of travelers would choose a property with self check-in, and over 40% prefer digital tools to manage their stay. Another survey, by BITS Arabia with 7,000 travelers, is even clearer: 80% love contactless systems, and 73% are crazy about digital keys. Translated? People want control. They want to open the door with a click, without waiting for someone to hand them a key like it’s a medieval ceremony.

The Evolution of Self Check-in: From Improvisation to Technology

But how did we go from the 1980s reception to locks that open with an app? It’s been a journey, with some stumbles and plenty of innovations. Here are the three main chapters of the self check-in saga.

1. The Box on the Pole: The Stone Age

In the beginning, when short-term rentals were the Wild West, someone had a brilliant idea (or so they thought): “Let’s put the keys in a safety box tied to a street pole!” Cheap? Yes. Convenient? Sure. Safe? Not even close. Keys left in a public place were an open invitation to thieves. And there was one small detail: attaching a box to a pole without permission was illegal. Fines, neighbor complaints, and the municipality knocking on your door. Result? A failed experiment, banned in many cities, from Milan to Rome.

2. Deposit Points: A Step Forward (But Not Much)

Having learned their lesson, smarter systems emerged. Think of services like KeyNest: you leave the keys in a “safe place”—a shop, a tobacconist, a partnered office—and the guest receives a code to pick them up. Better, right? Sure, it was safer and complied with regulations. But there was a catch: the guest had to embark on a pilgrimage to retrieve the keys, often far from the property. And the manager? They paid a fee for each deposit. In short, an improvement, but not the revolution everyone was waiting for.

3. Smart Locks and Remote Access: Welcome to the Future

Then came the real technology. Gates that open with a link, smart locks that respond to your smartphone, safety boxes mounted on the doorframe (yes, it’s legal there because it’s private property). These systems are a game-changer. The guest arrives, clicks, and enters. No poles, no shops, no risks. And managers can control everything remotely, without leaving the couch. It’s self check-in 2.0: safe, compliant with regulations, and with one flaw: installing it can cost an arm and a leg. Or at least, that’s how it was until recently.

November 2024: The Crackdown That Shook Everyone

And here the story gets complicated. In November 2024, the Ministry of the Interior issues a circular (no. 38138, for code enthusiasts) that seems to want to turn back the clock. Based on Article 109 of the TULPS, it insists on “de visu” check-in: in practice, someone should verify guests’ identities in person to ensure public safety. Panic among managers: goodbye self check-in? Not quite. The circular doesn’t ban automated systems but says they aren’t enough on their own. Certified technologies are needed, ones that record data flawlessly and track every access. And guess what? The Ministry of Tourism is working on just that: a standardized solution that balances security, regulations, and the freedom to manage your property as you wish.

Xenia: The Self Check-in That Lets You Sleep Easy

And now, in the present, Xenia steps in as the white knight of hospitality. Imagine a self check-in system that does it all: it opens the outer gate with a timed link, valid only for the guest’s stay. No fixed codes, no risk of unauthorized access. Once inside, the guest finds the keys in a box on the doorframe or enters directly with a smart lock, depending on how you’ve set up your property. It’s simple, it’s safe, and it complies with the latest regulations.

But the real twist? While a setup like this would cost you between 200 and 300 euros on the market (and a fair amount of headache), with Xenia it’s all free. Yes, you read that right: zero costs for new owners and affiliated property managers. It’s not just about money: it’s the freedom to offer your guests a modern experience without worrying about regulations, fines, or malfunctioning technology.

Your Next Move

Hospitality isn’t what it used to be. It’s a world where travelers want flexibility, managers want simplicity, and authorities want order. Self check-in is the bridge that connects it all, and Xenia is the smartest way to cross it. Whether you’re an owner with an apartment to rent or a property manager with an empire of properties, 2025 is the year to make the leap.

Ready to revolutionize how you welcome your guests? Contact us and discover how Xenia can make your self check-in a breeze—without spending a dime. The key to the future is digital, and we’re handing it to you.