Italy bans self-check-in key boxes

Tourists checking into vacation rentals in Italy will now have to be met by their hosts, following a nationwide ban on self-check-in key boxes

Dec 6, 2024

The Italian Ministry of the Interior has stated that the decree serves as a security measure, requiring hosts to verify their guests’ identities in person, rather than relying on remote check-in methods using key codes.

Key takeaways

• Hosts using platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com often provide self-check-in instructions that allow travelers to retrieve keys from safes. These key safes have become a symbol of overtourism in many Italian cities;
• Mandatory Guest Reporting: Property owners must now report guests’ personal information and identity documents to the police within 24 hours of check-in;
• Protest backdrop: The new regulations come after anonymous activists in Rome targeted short-term rental properties, hacking key safes off walls and leaving protest notes to surprise vacationers upon arrival.

Get the full story at The Independent