With the ban on self-check-in at short-term rentals, typically used by Airbnb or Booking clients, police in Rome has begun to remove key boxes from the streets in the city.

The Italian government had announced the ban on self check-in at these rentals, citing rising concerns over neighbourhood disturbances and calling it a security risk. The government has made it mandatory for landlords of these short-term rentals to ensure an in-person greeting at the time of check-ins at their properties.

The ban, which targets key boxes and keypads, was officially enacted on November 18, and earlier this week, the police and city officials have begun informing landlords and rental platforms about the new rule.

The ban has come following protests against short term rentals all across Europe. The protests in Italy were predominantly in Rome, Milan, Florence where residents protested against large-scale short-term rentals as they push up property properties and reduce the supply of rentals for the locals.

In response, the Italian Interior Ministry said that the ban aims to mitigate “public order and safety risks” associated with the potential lodging of individuals tied to criminal or terrorist activities. The ministry added that “the automated management of check-in and entry to a property without visual identification of guests” could inadvertently host individuals whose identities remain unknown to police, posing a potential threat to community safety.

“This measure responds to the intensification of the phenomenon of short-term rentals,’’ says the ministry, citing numerous significant political, cultural, and religious events planned across Italy, including the upcoming 2025 Jubilee celebrations in Rome.

For travellers, the new rule means an end to independent check-ins using key codes for lock boxes. Rental owners or managers are now mandated to meet clients personally, verify their identity documents, and oversee the check-in process. The  clients’ personal details and identity documents must be forwarded to the police authorities by the property owners within 24 hours of their check-in.

Meanwhile, the ban has its fair share of criticism, especially from landlords’ associations. Lorenzo Fagnoni, President of Property Managers Italia, an association of entrepreneurs in the tourist rental sector, criticised the move.

“The decision to remove keyboxes with bolt cutters, as is happening in Rome these hours, is a political move to gain publicity. It won’t solve any of the problems experienced by the citizens of the centre,” Fagnoni said in a statement.

“Keyboxes are not just for guests to self check-in. There are multiple perfectly legitimate uses: some use them for cleaning staff, some to leave an emergency key in case a guest who has already checked-in in person gets locked out, and some to avoid making the guest wait in the street if they arrive at a time when check-in cannot be done promptly,” he added.