Angry Italians in the capital Rome are trying to sabotage Airbnbs as they rage at the state of the rental market in the city.
Protestors from a group called ‘Robin Hood’ are using glue to make key boxes unusable for those staying in rentals in the Trastevere district.
Robin Hood said in a statement: “We are sabotaging the symptoms of an unjust society. A home is a right, not a goose that lays golden eggs.
“Rents are rising and the number of people being evicted [from rental properties] is skyrocketing.”
Rome continues to see a big increase in tourism demand. Last year, a record 35million people visited the city, a new record.
Next year, even more tourists are expected to come as Rome and the Vatican City hosts its jubilee ‘Holy Year’.
The Robin Hood activists have said: “Let’s sabotage the Jubilee of the rich. Let’s build the Jubilee of the poor together.”
The group has also spread letters throughout the city, with one saying: “If you are looking for the key safes and can’t find them, read this. We are rebelling.
“We have removed these key storage boxes to denounce the sell-out of the city to short-stay holidays which alienate locals and leave residents out on the streets.”
Frustration with tourism and Airbnbs has also been evident in Milan, where protestors have gained social media interaction with the slogan “This city is not a hotel.”
The protest group Chiediamo Casa placed stickers in the city that said: “Less short lets, more houses for all.”
And in a group letter earlier this year, they added: “Let’s limit tourist rentals, let’s protest those who want to expel us from the city with unsustainable rents for inaccessible houses.
“We want a city for all and the right to live in dignified housing.”
Similar groups are active in other cities across Italy.
Protests groups in Tenerife deployed a similar strategy to Robin Hood as they took action against rentals for tourists.
Spain has also seen a big rise in anti-tourism protests in major cities like Barcelona, as well as islands like Majorca.
