In recent weeks, cities across Italy have witnessed a growing wave of protests against overtourism, the phenomenon of overcrowding caused by the influx of short-term tourists, which negatively impacts local residents’ quality of life. This issue is particularly prevalent in major European cities, driven by the rise in short-term rental properties—apartments available for tourists for just a few days. The proliferation of these rentals has led to a decrease in long-term housing availability at affordable prices, while also contributing to an overall spike in living costs.
One of the most recent protests took place in Florence, where activists placed hundreds of red X stickers on keyboxes—secure boxes used by apartment owners to provide tourists with access to properties in their absence. The act of defiance targeted properties used for short-term rentals, highlighting the frustration of residents impacted by the increasing commodification of their neighborhoods.
Following the protest, Florence’s Mayor Sara Funaro announced on November 12 that starting in 2025, the installation of keyboxes will be banned within the UNESCO-protected area of the city. This area, which encompasses the historic center of Florence, is approximately two kilometers in radius. UNESCO, the United Nations agency responsible for preserving sites of cultural, historical, and environmental significance, oversees this protection.
Keyboxes, which allow tourists to check into apartments without the property owner being physically present, have become a ubiquitous feature in many cities. They are typically installed on walls or gates outside buildings. Similar protests were seen in Rome at the end of October when unknown individuals removed keyboxes from the city’s historic center, replacing them with Robin Hood hats and protest signs reading, “We rebel: we remove these locks to denounce the sale of our city to fleeting tourism that alienates and leaves its residents behind.”
These types of sabotage have also spread to other tourist-heavy cities like Bologna and Milan, where citizens have organized protests and distributed stickers reading, “Less short-term rentals, more homes for everyone.” In Naples, a flash mob was held in September against the surge in bed and breakfasts, where activists covered the shutters of closed newsstands with posters imitating the front page of a newspaper, condemning overtourism.
