The Fiamme Gialle contested 30,000 euros of proceeds from the illicit activity and 3,000 euros of unpaid tourist tax
An illegal bed and breakfast in a basement in Florence. This is what was discovered by the Provincial Command of the Guardia di Finanza of Florence, which is carrying out a series of checks in the real estate rental sector in order to identify the irregularities in the short-term tourist rental sector with particular reference to the historic center of the city.
The control activity, carried out on the basis of the analysis of the data taken from the databases in use by the Corps crossed with those resulting from the Municipality’s databases and from the announcements available online, made it possible to detect the presence of several residential properties completely unknown to the tax authorities in the historic center of the city.
Among these, a bed and breakfast was identified in one of the busiest streets of the city, turned out to be completely illegal, as it was built inside a basement, stacked up as a warehouse and lacks the habitability requirement. The manager had it transformed into accommodation for tourists, also creating a kitchen and a bathroom, and rented illegally on the most well-known online short-term rental platforms.
The local police intervened on the property in question, together with the financiers, to also ascertain all the security deficiencies (humid and in precarious hygienic-sanitary conditions, the property was found to lack a compliant electrical and ventilation system). Furthermore, the host did not communicate the presence of the guests to the local police headquarters, violating the obligations set out in the Ministerial Decree of 7 January 2013, with the consequence that requested that the tourist tax be paid to him, but did not pay it to the Municipality of Florence.
Therefore, both the owner of the property and the host were reported for violations committed both in terms of urban planning and construction; were also elevated administrative reports for violations of public safety regulations and health and hygiene requirements. Once the investigations were completed, the Fiamme Gialle of Florence protested 30,000 euros of proceeds resulting from the illicit activity, as well as 3,000 euros of unpaid tourist tax.
