Italy's short‑term rental boom sparks police warning over holiday‑rental scams

The Italian State Police has issued an alert about “vacanze fantasma” – fraudulent holiday‑rental offers advertised on social networks. In an Instagram reel the police warned users to avoid unusually low prices, verify photos and listings, use only certified payment channels and report suspicious posts to the postal police.

A separate study by Sunia and Federconsumatori shows a rapid expansion of short‑term rentals in the province of Modena. In 21 months the number of properties rented for less than 30 days rose 33%, reaching 2,059 units registered with the national identification code (CIN). The growth is driven by large operators, with one company expanding from 48 to over 100 apartments in a year. The surge is linked to a decline in traditional long‑term contracts and rising housing costs. Recent regional legislation and an EU regulation, effective May 2024, introduced the CIN system to improve sector regularity.

Both the police warning and the market data highlight growing consumer risks and regulatory challenges in Italy’s holiday‑rental sector.