Visitors to Italy will now have an extra step in their Airbnb check-in process as the country has banned lockboxes for home rentals.

The days of arriving late at an Airbnb in Italy and opening up the keybox to let yourself will soon be over after the country issued a ban on self-check-ins under a new law it says is needed to combat potential terrorism.

A staggering 57 million tourists visited Italy in 2023 attracted by the country's good weather, food and beautiful historic locations.

Guests staying in rental accommodation in Italy, like Airbnb or Booking properties, must now be met in person by owners. View on euronews

Italy’s interior ministry has issued an ordinance banning self check-ins in holiday rentals including Airbnb and Booking properties. But what’s really changing for guests and property owners?

The Italian government introduced this ban on key lock boxes—a common self-check-in solution—following widespread protests by local residents.

Tourists in Italy will no longer be able to access short-term rentals using key boxes after the country's police chief said owners must verify the identity of guests in person. The move has been brought in as a security measure and follows a similar step being taken in Florence.

Guests staying in holiday rental properties in Italy, including Airbnb and Booking properties, will no longer be able to check in independently after the Italian interior ministry banned key boxes in a bid to “prevent public order and safety risks”.

Italy is to crack down on short-term let platforms such as Airbnb by decreeing that property owners can no longer use metal key boxes as a means of allowing tourists to access rental apartments.

The Italian Ministry of the Interior has imposed a ban on online check-ins for tourists in short-term rental apartments. That's not all. The use of key lockboxes has also been prohibited. The decision by the Italian ministry is a response to growing concerns over the rapid increase in the number of apartments being allocated for short-term rentals