Short-term rentals threaten Italy's small towns, not just big cities

The debate over short-term rentals has expanded beyond major Italian cities to small towns and rural areas. An interview with Francesco Grillo, an entrepreneur from Bari who manages over 300 properties for tourist rentals, reignited the discussion. Grillo stated that students and young couples who cannot afford city centers should move to peripheral neighborhoods or smaller towns, prioritizing tourism over resident housing. In the Marche hinterland, a town of just over 4,000 residents now has over 20 B&Bs and about 60 total tourist accommodations. The phenomenon of 'diffuse hotels' and 'one-euro houses' in southern Italy is criticized as a commodification that undermines the concept of 'abitare' (dwelling). Scholars Domenico Cersosimo, Fulvio Librandi, and Rosanna Nisticò argue that true territorial regeneration requires continuous re-inhabitation, not a transplant of people seeking a non-urban elsewhere. External investors, often foreign, buy and renovate properties into second homes and short-term rentals, reducing permanent housing stock. The article calls for urban governance tools to balance tourism interests with the needs of long-term residents, preventing villages from becoming mere backdrops for tourism.