The CIN for vacation rentals in Italy: who needs it, where it must appear and what Sicily adds

What the CIN is and who needs it

The CIN (Codice Identificativo Nazionale) is the national identification number for every dwelling rented to vacation guests or for short stays in Italy. The legal basis is Art. 13-ter D.L. 145/2023 ¹. The Ministry of Tourism assigns the code through its BDSR database, and in the application you confirm, among other things, the cadastral data of the unit ². The CIN is national law and applies in Sicily as it does in every other region.

You need it as soon as you rent out a vacation house or apartment to tourists, even for a few nights. What counts is the individual unit: the fine for missing details is calculated per unit, and the law requires the safety equipment “in ogni caso, tutte le unità”, in every unit ¹. If you rent out in a business form, Art. 13-ter para. 8 also requires an SCIA ¹.

Sicily: the CIR first, then the CIN

Besides the CIN, Sicily has a regional code, the CIR (Codice Identificativo Regionale). The Region introduced it by D.A. 1783 of July 27, 2022 and assigns it through the Turist@t system (Art. 1). Anyone renting out to tourists registers the dwelling there (Art. 3) ⁴. Both codes have to be kept: the CIN does not replace the CIR ⁷.

The order follows from the law. In regions with their own code, the Region converts the regional code into the CIN itself and reports it to the Ministry (Art. 13-ter paras. 2 and 3). You apply to the Ministry yourself only if the Region has no code, does not assign it in time, or does not convert it within 30 days ¹. According to the Ministry's FAQ, as trade associations reproduce it, a regional code that exists for your type of property has to be in hand before you request the CIN ⁷. On July 10, 2024, the Region of Sicily announced that it would convert the CIRs already assigned into CINs ⁸. How the application works is described in How to apply for the CIN for your vacation home in Sicily: step by step, with and without SPID.

Where the CIN must appear

Under Art. 13-ter para. 6, the CIN goes in two places: outside the building and “in ogni annuncio ovunque pubblicato”, in every ad wherever it is published. The duty expressly covers intermediaries and portals ¹. In Sicily, Art. 10 L.R. 6/2025 additionally requires the CIN in or next to the sign, on websites and in every form of advertising ⁵.

The CIR also goes in all ads, clearly visible and close to the name of the property (Art. 7 D.A. 1783/2022) ⁴. A listing for a vacation house in Sicily therefore carries both codes. At Terra Mia Immobiliare you enter CIN and CIR in the Basics step of the owner area. On the listing page they appear below the description. Applying for the CIN on a host's behalf is not a service of Terra Mia Immobiliare.

Gas and CO detectors, fire extinguishers

The safety equipment is part of the CIN rules. Art. 13-ter para. 7 requires working gas and carbon monoxide detectors and portable fire extinguishers in every unit. The devices must be visible and within reach, especially near the kitchen and heat sources. One extinguisher is required for each 200 m² or part of it, and at least one per floor ¹. In the application you declare that these requirements are met ².

Art. 13-ter does not mention smoke detectors. They are still a good idea, but the law does not require them. If gas and CO detectors or extinguishers are missing, the fine is 600 to 6,000 EUR per violation found. The details, including the Ministry's reading for houses with no gas at all, are in CIN duty and fines for vacation rentals in Italy and what a breach costs in Sicily.

Since when the duty applies

• July 10, 2024: Sicily transmits its properties to the BDSR and the CIN can be requested ⁸.
• September 3, 2024: the BDSR goes live. Under the notice in the Gazzetta Ufficiale, the rules of Art. 13-ter apply from the 60th day, that is, from November 2, 2024 ².
• January 1, 2025: the Ministry postpones the deadline for having the CIN to this date ³.
• June 30, 2026: deadline for the Allegato B notice in Sicily ⁶.
• December 30, 2026: whoever filed the Allegato B notice by June 30, 2026 and still owes technical documents has to submit them by this date, or the property can be closed and its CIR and CIN revoked (Art. 4 D.A. 1920/2026) ⁶.

All duties at a glance

Inspections and fines are handled by the municipality, which acts through the local police (Art. 13-ter para. 11) ¹.

Why the CIN matters and how you apply

Without a CIN you cannot lawfully rent out your property, and the fines above hit anyone who does so anyway. The code ties the property, its cadastral data and its ads together in a national database. The municipality also reports the results of its inspections to the Agenzia delle Entrate ¹. How the penalties are built is explained in CIN duty and fines for vacation rentals in Italy and what a breach costs in Sicily.

You apply for the CIN online in the BDSR. Access works with SPID or CIE, the Italian digital identity ⁸. Foreign owners with neither can be accredited by the Ministry, or a delegate files the application ⁹. In Sicily you obtain the CIR first. The steps are in How to apply for the CIN for your vacation home in Sicily: step by step, with and without SPID.

Once you have the CIN and the CIR, you create your vacation house listing in the owner area of Terra Mia Immobiliare. How to write a vacation rental listing in Sicily: photos, description, prices, CIN and CIR shows how to build it. Listing is free. A commission of 16% plus VAT is charged only when a booking is made, and the guest pays you directly.