LEGAL OBLIGATIONS
This article looks at what you need to do to stay compliant with Sicilian rental property laws, as well as national and municipal rules. It’s part of our comprehensive series of guides for owners.
What Sicilian rental property laws do I need to know about?
Holiday homes in Sicily are regulated by national, regional and municipal laws, and the framework is more detailed than most owners realise.
The main national legislation includes Presidential Decree 380/2001 (which concerns building and planning compliance), Decree Law 50/2017 (which defines short-term rentals and sets the tax framework) and Decree Law 145/2023 (which introduced the CIN, mandatory safety equipment and the national registration database).Â
At regional level, Sicily has its own requirements, most recently updated by Regional Decree 2104 of 25 June 2025.This mandates that every property must be fully compliant with its planning and cadastral records before it can legally be rented out.
In the simplest terms, you are required to obtain a CIR and a CIN, register with the police, report the details of your guests and collect and forward their tourist tax. We’ll cover each of these obligations in turn below.
How Solemar can help
We are always on hand to answer any questions you have about the legalities of running a holiday home in Sicily. Whether you choose to contact us by phone, email or Whatsapp we guarantee a swift and detailed response. If we don’t know an answer ourselves we will always seek specialist advice rather than giving you our best guess – but you’ll be kept in the loop throughout the process.
In the simplest terms, you are required to obtain a CIR and a CIN, register with the police, report the details of your guests and collect and forward their tourist tax. We’ll cover each of these obligations in turn below.
How Solemar can help
We are always on hand to answer any questions you have about the legalities of running a holiday home in Sicily. Whether you choose to contact us by phone, email or Whatsapp we guarantee a swift and detailed response. If we don’t know an answer ourselves we will always seek specialist advice rather than giving you our best guess – but you’ll be kept in the loop throughout the process.
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What is a CIR and how do I get one?
The CIR (Codice Identificativo Regionale), or regional identification code, is Sicily’s mandatory registration code for holiday rentals. You need to have a CIR before you can apply for the national CIN.
In Sicily, the first step is to make a request through the ‘Impresa in un Giorno’ platform, which requires a digital ID called a SPID. The application can then be submitted to the local council where the property is located. After this you can register the property through the Sicilian Regional Tourism Observatory, attaching all documentation relating to the property, including the certificate of occupancy, certificates for the building services, and the required land registry and town planning documents. The CIR will be issued after approximately 30 days.
Note that the Tourism Observatory portal is the same place in which you will manage your Turistat reporting obligation. The two are linked, as explained in the Turistat section below.
How Solemar can help
A foreign owner may not have the necessary digital tools, in particular the SPID.Usually this would necessitate the assistance of an accountant, architect, engineer or surveyor.Â
Solemar Sicilia can handle the entire procedure on behalf of the owner.
The CIR (Codice Identificativo Regionale), or regional identification code, is Sicily’s mandatory registration code for holiday rentals. You need to have a CIR before you can apply for the national CIN.
In Sicily, the first step is to make a request through the ‘Impresa in un Giorno’ platform, which requires a digital ID called a SPID. The application can then be submitted to the local council where the property is located. After this you can register the property through the Sicilian Regional Tourism Observatory, attaching all documentation relating to the property, including the certificate of occupancy, certificates for the building services, and the required land registry and town planning documents. The CIR will be issued after approximately 30 days.
Note that the Tourism Observatory portal is the same place in which you will manage your Turistat reporting obligation. The two are linked, as explained in the Turistat section below.
How Solemar can help
A foreign owner may not have the necessary digital tools, in particular the SPID.Usually this would necessitate the assistance of an accountant, architect, engineer or surveyor.Â
Solemar Sicilia can handle the entire procedure on behalf of the owner.
What is a CIN and how do I get one?
The CIN (Codice Identificativo Nazionale), or national identification code, is the second mandatory code every short-term rental in Italy must display alongside the CIR. The two work in conjunction, although they are applied for separately.
Once you have your CIR, you apply for the CIN through the Ministry of Tourism’s national database portal (BDSR). The process is free and the certificate is usually downloadable within 24 to 48 hours. Both codes must be displayed visibly outside the property and included in all your advertising and portal listings.
Note: In order to use the BDSR platform you will need either an Italian identity card (CIE) or a SPID digital ID.
How Solemar can help
Our team can apply for both CIR and CIN on your behalf. All you will need to do is supply us with up-do-date copies of all relevant documents.
We can also help you get a SPID, which is an essential part of living or earning in modern Italy. These usually cost a nominal fee of around €5-10 per year. There is an identity verification component to the process, which can be completed online or in person at an Italian Post Office and which you will need to perform yourself. If you do so online there is the option to conduct this check in English.
How Solemar can help
Our team can apply for both CIR and CIN on your behalf. All you will need to do is supply us with up-do-date copies of all relevant documents.
We can also help you get a SPID, which is an essential part of living or earning in modern Italy. These usually cost a nominal fee of around €5-10 per year. There is an identity verification component to the process, which can be completed online or in person at an Italian Post Office and which you will need to perform yourself. If you do so online there is the option to conduct this check in English.
Do I need to register my holiday home with the police?
Yes, every host in Italy is legally required to register the identity of every adult guest through the Alloggiati Web, the national portal managed by the Polizia di Stato. Before you can use this, you need to obtain login credentials from your local police headquarters (Questura) in person. Once set up, you submit the personal details and identity document of every adult guest at each stay.Â
See the section on Alloggiati Web below for full details.
Do I need to register my holiday home with the police?
Yes, every host in Italy is legally required to register the identity of every adult guest through the Alloggiati Web, the national portal managed by the Polizia di Stato. Before you can use this, you need to obtain login credentials from your local police headquarters (Questura) in person. Once set up, you submit the personal details and identity document of every adult guest at each stay.
See the section on Alloggiati Web below for full details.
What is Turistat and do I need to use it?
Turistat is the region of Sicily’s online platform for reporting guest statistics to ISTAT, Italy’s national statistics institute. Keeping it up to date is mandatory and failing to do so incurs penalties.
Credentials are obtained from Sicily’s Regional Tourism Department, separately from the Questura credentials needed for Alloggiati Web. Once you have these and receive guests, you must register all daily arrivals and departures through Sicily’s Tourism Observatory portal – which, for reference, is only available in Italian.Â
Once you have completed your guest registration in Turistat, the platform generates a file containing the statistical report which you need to upload to Alloggiati Web. for use by the police (see below for details).
What is Turistat and do I need to use it?
Turistat is the region of Sicily’s online platform for reporting guest statistics to ISTAT, Italy’s national statistics institute. Keeping it up to date is mandatory and failing to do so incurs penalties.
Credentials are obtained from Sicily’s Regional Tourism Department, separately from the Questura credentials needed for Alloggiati Web. Once you have these and receive guests, you must register all daily arrivals and departures through Sicily’s Tourism Observatory portal – which, for reference, is only available in Italian.Â
Once you have completed your guest registration in Turistat, the platform generates a file containing the statistical report which you need to upload to Alloggiati Web. for use by the police (see below for details).
Do I need to register my holiday home with the police?
Alloggiati Web is a police platform, through which you are required to share with the state individual identity details for every adult guest who stays at your property. Specifically, you must give their full name, date of birth, place of birth, nationality, document type, document number and issuing authority. This creates a police record of who stayed where.Â
The good news is that when you enter this information in the Turistat platform (see above) it will automatically generate a file containing the relevant information for Alloggiati Web. So you need only enter the data once, but it’s important not to miss either part of the obligation.
How Solemar can help
If we are managing your property you can enjoy the complete comfort of knowing that all of these red tape responsibilities will be handled by our expert in-house admin staff.
Our commitment to transparency means that, of course, all of these records will be available to you on request.
Alloggiati Web is a police platform, through which you are required to share with the state individual identity details for every adult guest who stays at your property. Specifically, you must give their full name, date of birth, place of birth, nationality, document type, document number and issuing authority. This creates a police record of who stayed where.
The good news is that when you enter this information in the Turistat platform (see above) it will automatically generate a file containing the relevant information for Alloggiati Web. So you need only enter the data once, but it’s important not to miss either part of the obligation.
How Solemar can help
If we are managing your property you can enjoy the complete comfort of knowing that all of these red tape responsibilities will be handled by our expert in-house admin staff.
Our commitment to transparency means that, of course, all of these records will be available to you on request.
What is tourist tax and how do I collect it?
Tourist tax (imposta di soggiorno) is a small per-person, per-night levy charged by local municipalities. The rate varies by location and property category, so you will need to check with your municipality how much they currently charge. This will usually vary by class of accommodation.
You can then collect it directly from guests on arrival. We recommend that you make sure they know about it in advance, as being presented with an unexpected charge at check-in can cause confusion and occasionally conflict. You should issue a receipt to each guest, and remit the total to the municipality at the intervals they specify.
To register as a collector you’ll typically need to file documentation including your title deed, land registry certificate, cadastral plan and certificate of occupancy (certificato di agibilità ). Your local authority will confirm the exact requirements.
Note: this is entirely separate from the VAT or income tax owed on your rental earnings, which are covered separately in our Tax & Finance guide.
How Solemar can help
Our friendly and ever-present guest reception team will make sure that all money is collected and stored securely on your behalf until it is time to forward it to the municipality. Our booking management software and pro forma communications make sure no guest should be surprised by unexpected charges on arrival.
Note: this is entirely separate from the VAT or income tax owed on your rental earnings, which are covered separately in our Tax & Finance guide.
How Solemar can help
Our friendly and ever-present guest reception team will make sure that all money is collected and stored securely on your behalf until it is time to forward it to the municipality. Our booking management software and pro forma communications make sure no guest should be surprised by unexpected charges on arrival.
What is tourist tax and how do I collect it?
The mandatory safety equipment and legal minimums are covered in full in our Health & Safety guide. In brief, every short-term rental unit must have a portable fire extinguisher, a combustible gas detector and a carbon monoxide detector, emergency signage and a first-aid kit. These must all be in place before you can obtain your CIN.
Be aware that these are only the national requisites. Some local councils impose obligations beyond this. Airbnb maintains an English-language guide to renting to tourists in Sicily, which that includes a useful rundown of requirements specific to the region.
Do I need to create a contract for every booking at my Sicilian holiday home?
Yes, every booking, however short, requires a written tourist rental contract (contratto di locazione turistica) to stay compliant with Sicilian rental property laws.
Unless you’re operating as a business (in which case a VAT invoice is sufficient), you need a separate contract for each booking. If a stay exceeds 30 days, the contract must be registered with the tax office (Agenzia delle Entrate).
A sample template in English is available through the Milan Chamber of Commerce website.
How Solemar can help
Our legal and financial teams have created a contract which is automatically issued to every guest at a Solemar Sicilia property.
Yes, every booking, however short, requires a written tourist rental contract (contratto di locazione turistica) to stay compliant with Sicilian rental property laws.
Unless you’re operating as a business (in which case a VAT invoice is sufficient), you need a separate contract for each booking. If a stay exceeds 30 days, the contract must be registered with the tax office (Agenzia delle Entrate).
A sample template in English is available through the Milan Chamber of Commerce website.
How Solemar can help
Our legal and financial teams have created a contract which is automatically issued to every guest at a Solemar Sicilia property.