Italy's regional property price hikes boost short‑term rental market

The Italian property market is showing divergent trends across regions. In Lazio, second‑home prices rose 17% since 2022, with Sabaudia at €3,588 per square metre and Anzio the most affordable at €2,915. A Nomisma study reports a 4.4% rise in residential transactions in Q1 2026, new mortgage financing up 6.6%, and the residential loan default rate falling to 0.45%. Technocasa data shows Bari’s housing prices jumped 13.4% year‑on‑year, allowing a €200 k budget to buy roughly 106 m² of used apartments, while Milan could only afford about 43 m². In Liguria, short‑term rentals remain strategic: about 3% of homes are used for tourist lets, 46,910 licences have been issued, and regional house sales grew 8.2% YoY. Luxury‑segment demand is also rising, with a 20% increase in premium‑property supply and foreign buyers favouring Milan, Lombardy and Tuscany. A separate report highlighted 25 low‑cost communes where prices dip below €400 per square metre, exemplified by Mosso in Piedmont. Lake Iseo and Garda areas saw secondary‑home prices climb up to 9%, driven by Polish buyers, while the short‑term rental sector is shrinking in favour of longer‑term leases.