Regulations
Is self check-in legal in Italy? Keyboxes, video calls and guest ID rules (2026)
In short
Self check-in is not banned in Italy, but remote check-in alone — guests upload an ID and get a door code — is not enough. In November 2025 the Consiglio di Stato (judgment 9101/2025) confirmed that hosts must verify in person (de visu) that each guest matches their ID; it added that this could be done through a live video connection at the entrance. Collect documents online, identify guests live, then release the code.
What does Italian law require at check-in?
Two separate duties apply to every short-term rental in Italy. The first is reporting: you send each guest’s details to the police through Alloggiati Web within 24 hours of arrival (our Alloggiati Web guide explains how). The second is identification: under article 109 of the TULPS, Italy’s public-security law, you must check that the person staying is really the person on the document.
Self check-in with a keybox or smart lock doesn’t conflict with reporting — you can collect documents online and send them on time. The question has always been the second duty: can you identify someone you never see?
What happened to the keybox ban? A timeline
| Date | Decision | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Nov 2024 | Circular no. 38138 from the Chief of Police (Ministry of the Interior) | Hosts must verify guests’ identity de visu; remote check-in with document copies and automatic codes or keyboxes doesn’t comply |
| 27 May 2025 | TAR Lazio (regional administrative court), judgment 10210/2025 | Annulled the circular; remote check-in was widely seen as allowed again |
| 21 Nov 2025 | Consiglio di Stato, Section III, judgment 9101/2025 | Overturned the TAR on appeal; the circular is valid and de visu identification is required |
The Consiglio di Stato is Italy’s highest administrative court, so its judgment is the current reference point. If you read articles from summer 2025 saying keyboxes are “legal again”, they predate it.
What did the Consiglio di Stato actually say?
The judgment makes three points that matter for hosts:
- 1The circular adds nothing new. The court called it purely interpretative: it simply confirms what article 109 of the TULPS already requires.
- 2Upload-only remote check-in falls short. Verification “can only be carried out de visu”; the practice of remote check-in doesn’t guarantee place, time and visual correspondence between the document holder and the guest.
- 3Technology isn’t excluded. The court wrote that identification could be done through video-connection devices set up by the host at the entrance, provided they can establish, at that moment, that the guest really is the document holder.
Which check-in setups work, and which don’t?
| Setup | Identification | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Host or co-host meets guests at the door | In person, ID checked against face | Meets the in-person requirement |
| Local cleaner or concierge checks IDs on arrival | In person, by someone you’ve delegated | Compliant if they really check each guest |
| Live video call at the entrance, guest shows ID on camera, then code is released | Remote but live, at the moment of access | Described by the court as possible — confirm with your Questura |
| Guest uploads ID online, receives keybox or door code, nobody sees them | None | Not sufficient according to the court |
If you live abroad, the realistic options are a trusted local person or a live video step at arrival. Our guide to managing a rental in Italy remotely covers how owners abroad organise this alongside cleaning and maintenance.
What are the risks of ignoring the rule?
Article 109 obligations are backed by article 17 of the TULPS: up to three months’ arrest or a fine of up to €206. Beyond the penalty, an unidentified guest is a practical risk — you don’t really know who is in your property. And remember that your listings also need a valid CIN: see Italy’s CIN code explained.
How do you build a self check-in flow that respects the law?
The trick is to keep everything that can be remote remote, and make the one step that can’t as short as possible:
- 01
Before arrival: online check-in
Guests enter arrival time and personal details, upload photos of their documents and accept house rules from a link — no app or account needed.
- 02
Data ready for the police
Documents are collected and checked in advance, so the Alloggiati Web data is ready before the guest lands.
- 03
On arrival: a short live identification
You, a co-host or a local contact match each guest with their ID — at the door or, where your Questura accepts it, by live video at the entrance.
- 04
Confirm and release access
Once identification is confirmed, the access instructions are released and the schedine are sent.
How Maurice helps with identification
Maurice’s online check-in handles the remote part: guest details, ID documents collected and checked, house rules and payments such as the tourist tax. It includes an optional identity-confirmation step where you confirm that each guest was identified, in person or by video call. Access instructions and the door code (sent as text) are released automatically on arrival day, from check-in time, only when every step is complete — so if you enable the identity step, nobody gets the code until you’ve confirmed it.
You, or someone you trust, confirm each guest’s identification from the dashboard, in person or by video call; Maurice makes sure nothing else is left to chance, and then sends the data to Alloggiati Web automatically.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still use a keybox in Italy?
You can use a keybox to hand over keys, but not as a substitute for identification. After the Consiglio di Stato’s judgment 9101/2025, someone must verify that each guest matches their ID — in person, or through a live video connection at the entrance as the court suggested — before the guest gets access.
Is a video call enough to identify guests?
The Consiglio di Stato wrote that identification could happen through video-connection devices at the entrance, if they verify live that the guest is the document holder. That’s a conditional statement, not a detailed procedure, so check with your Questura how it applies the rule before relying on video alone.
Does the rule apply to every guest or just the lead guest?
Plan to identify every guest. The circular and the judgment talk about matching the people staying with their identity documents, and Questure such as Grosseto’s state that each guest must be identified on arrival with a valid document. On Alloggiati Web, document details are only required for the lead guest.
Did the TAR Lazio ruling make keyboxes legal?
Only temporarily. The TAR Lazio annulled the circular in May 2025, but the Consiglio di Stato overturned that decision on 21 November 2025 and reinstated the circular. Articles written between those dates may tell you remote check-in is fine; they’re out of date.
Does online check-in still make sense if I have to meet guests?
Yes. Collecting details, documents, house-rule acceptance and payments in advance turns the in-person step into a quick ID check instead of a paperwork session at the door, and the police data is ready to send as soon as identification is confirmed.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and local regulations vary: check with your accountant or a professional before acting.
Sources
- Consiglio di Stato, Sec. III, judgment 9101/2025 (21 November 2025)
- Giustizia amministrativa — summary of judgment 9101/2025 on de visu identification
- TAR Lazio, judgment 10210/2025 (27 May 2025)
- Questura di Grosseto — Alloggiati Web FAQ on remote check-in and circular 38138/2024
- Questura di Oristano — identification duties and art. 17 TULPS penalties
Matteo Anzidei · Founder of Maurice Assistant
Matteo Anzidei founded Maurice Assistant in Milan to take repetitive work off hosts and property managers: guest messages, check-in, documents, Alloggiati Web and payments. He writes practical guides on short-term rental rules and automation.