Italy’s CIN code for short-term rentals: how to get it, where to show it and the fines (2026)

What is the CIN and where does it come from?

The CIN is a national identification code assigned by Italy’s Ministry of Tourism to every apartment rented for tourism or short stays, and to hotels, B&Bs and other accommodation. It was introduced by article 13-ter of Decree-Law 145/2023 (converted into Law 191/2023), and it became mandatory for all rentals from 1 January 2025.

Before the CIN, many Italian regions already issued their own code, the CIR (Codice Identificativo Regionale). The CIN didn’t erase it: where a region had a CIR, the law re-codes it as a CIN by adding a prefix supplied by the Ministry. That’s why, when you log in, you may find your property already listed with its regional data pre-filled.

Why it matters beyond the fine: the CIN feeds a national database the Agenzia delle Entrate (Italy’s tax agency) and the Guardia di Finanza use for risk analysis, prioritising rentals that operate without a code. The EU’s short-term rental data regulation (2024/1028), which applies from 20 May 2026, also relies on registration numbers being shown on platforms.

Who needs a CIN?

• Owners and landlords renting a home, or part of one, for tourism or for stays of up to 30 days (the Italian “locazione breve”).
• Sublandlords and managers who rent out a property they don’t own, under the same rules.
• Hotels, B&Bs, guesthouses and other accommodation defined by regional law.
• It doesn’t matter how many nights a year you rent or whether you live in Italy: if the unit is offered to guests, it needs a code.

How do you request the CIN on the BDSR?

The application happens online on the BDSR (Banca Dati delle Strutture Ricettive), the Ministry of Tourism’s national accommodation database. Italian residents log in with SPID (Italy’s public digital identity) or CIE (the electronic identity card). If you’re a foreign owner without either, there’s a separate route.

1. 01

   Log in or register as a foreign user

   Go to bdsr.ministeroturismo.gov.it and click “Ottieni CIN”. Foreign citizens who own, manage or are delegated to manage a property can register with the foreign-user form; the Ministry verifies the request and emails a username. It isn’t instant, and you’ll set up two-factor authentication with an authenticator app.

2. 02

   Find your property

   You’ll see the properties linked to your Italian tax code (codice fiscale). Fields in grey come from your Region and can’t be edited on the BDSR.

3. 03

   Complete the missing data

   Fill in every white field marked with an asterisk, including the declarant type (private individual, individual with a VAT number, or company). The application includes a self-declaration confirming the cadastral data and the safety devices described below.

4. 04

   Click “Ottieni CIN” and download the certificate

   You’ll get an email confirmation (without the PDF). Log back in and use “Scarica pdf protocollato” to download the summary with the Ministry’s protocol number.

If someone else handles it for you: a person registered as a delegate (delegato) must upload a delegation signed by the owner plus a copy of the owner’s identity card. If your property isn’t listed and you already have a regional CIR, use “Segnalazione struttura mancante” at the bottom of “Le mie strutture”; the request goes to your Region for checks. If you have neither code, ask your Comune or Region which registration comes first.

Where must the CIN be displayed?

The law sets two places, and both are mandatory:

• Outside the building where the apartment is located, respecting any planning or landscape restrictions (historic centres often have rules on signs — check with your Comune).
• In every listing, wherever it’s published: Airbnb, Booking.com, your own website, social media and printed ads.

Agencies and online portals have the same duty to show the CIN in the listings they publish, and the sanction for a missing code includes the immediate removal of the non-compliant listing. Add the code to every channel you use, including your own booking site.

What safety devices does the CIN require?

Every unit rented short-term, whether you’re a private owner or a business, must have:

• Working detectors for combustible gas and carbon monoxide.
• Portable fire extinguishers that meet legal standards, placed in accessible and visible positions — near the entrance and close to the areas of greatest risk — at a rate of one every 200 m² of floor space (or fraction), with at least one per floor.

Rentals run as a business must also meet the national and regional safety requirements for building systems (wiring, gas and so on). If your apartment has no gas supply, check the Ministry of Tourism’s current FAQ on which detectors apply before you buy.

What are the fines for not having or not displaying a CIN?

Checks and fines are handled by the Comune where the property is located, through its local police, and the money stays with the Comune. If your Region already punishes the same violation under its own law, the regional sanction applies instead of the national one.

What changes if you rent three or more apartments?

From 2026, Italy’s budget law (Law 199/2025) presumes that anyone renting more than two apartments short-term is running a business. Above that threshold the CIN law adds a SCIA (Segnalazione Certificata di Inizio Attività — a formal notice of business start) filed with the Comune’s business desk (SUAP), and the tax picture changes too: see our guide to the cedolare secca and the two-apartment limit. Before crossing that line, talk to a commercialista (an Italian chartered accountant).

You have your CIN. What comes next?

The CIN is the first step, not the last. From the first booking you also need to:

1. 1Register every guest with the police through Alloggiati Web within 24 hours of arrival — see how Alloggiati Web guest registration works.
2. 2Identify guests properly at check-in — read what Italian law says about self check-in.
3. 3Collect and remit your Comune’s tourist tax, where it applies.
4. 4If you live abroad, organise who does what locally — our checklist for managing a rental in Italy remotely covers it step by step.

Once your CIN is in place, Maurice takes over the recurring work that follows: guest messages, online check-in with document checks, automatic submission to Alloggiati Web and tourist-tax collection by card. See how it works for Airbnb and Booking.com hosts.