The Alta Tensione Abitativa campaign, which has crafted a proposed law for the regulation of short-term rentals of residential homes has received a positive response to its request for a technical meeting to compare proposals with Mayor Brugnaro, who has said his ideas are very similar. Prof. Filippo Celata of Sapienza Rome will also be reviewing the bill with an eye towards its introduction in Parliament.
By Vera Mantengoli
2 April 2022
There’s a possibility for dialogue between the citizens of Alta Tensione Abitativa (ATA) and Mayor Luigi Brugnaro. The group was born in the wake of the film Welcome Venice by Andrea Segre, which deals with the issue of renting out homes to tourists, bringing together a variety of citizens’ associations and individuals. The group recently wrote to the Mayor requesting a meeting. After the presentation of the proposed law to regulate tourist rentals by ATA a month ago at the Teatro Toniolo, Luigi Brugnaro stated publicly that the bill was very similar to his ideas.
“Luca Zuin, vice-chair of the Mayor’s Cabinet, responded to our letter, calling to tell us that as soon as the Mayor approves it they will set up a meeting”, explained Andrea Segre, along the way from Rialto to Campo Santa Margherita, “which will be an opportunity for a technical encounter to see if our proposals and those of the Mayor meet up”.
The other important news is that Professor Filippo Celata of Sapienza University of Rome has expressed interest in the bill, and has offered to check and refine the proposal before it is submitted to Parliament. “If there were more and different parliamentarians willing to support the bill this would be very positive”, said Segre, “and we are willing to change parts of it. Obviously, however, the central points must remain”.
The points that ATA is not willing to cede are: first, that the tourist rentals of residential property be regulated; second, that the state give authorization to cities to implement the regulations; the third is keeping the maximum percentage of tourist rentals compared to residents of a certain area at 20%; the fourth is that each owner can only rent one location. Finally, the proposed bill is reserved for short-term rentals of residential locations to tourists and not at residents who want to rent out a room in their home, while they are still present in the home.
Yesterday morning Segre and the associations, such as Ocio (which works on housing and played a key role in drafting the bill), marched from Rialto to campo Santa Margherita with a large banner bearing the name Alta Tensione Abitative. Waiting for them was an invasion of moeche, the kind that are protagonists in Segre’s film, Welcome Venice. In fact, tray after tray of delicious moeche arrived, brought by the fishermen who were in the film to the owners of the Afghani restaurant Orient Experience, who demonstrated how to prepare them.
This pleasant gathering was the conclusion of a path begun at the Pescheria at Rialto with the Alta Tensione Abitativa banner, to bring attention to the fact that the proposed law on rental of homes to tourists is moving forward. “The bill is intended to fill a legal void with a national regulation that gives the cities a tool for limiting the uncontrolled spread of short-term rentals, to protect residential housing”, emphasized the group (www.altatensioneabitativa.it)
Source: La Nuova di Venezia e Mestre
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