Bed And Breakfast Business Rome

Opening a Bed and Breakfast business in Rome

The accommodation sector is strictly regulated by regional laws and in order to open an accommodation structure one must follow all the right steps.

First of all, the Italian and Regional laws identify two kind of accommodation structures: hotel-like and non hotel-like.

Belong to the hotel-like structures:

Hotels Motels Residences

Belong to the non hotel like structures:

Affittacamere (room rentals) Ostelli Per la Gioventù (youth hostels) Case e Appartamenti per Vacanza (full houses or apartments to rent for holidays) Bed and Breakfast Alberghi diffusi (distributed rooms hotels) Rifugi montani (mountain lodges)

The regional laws explain in detail what are the minimum characteristics that each kind of structure must satisfy and what are the administrative steps that must be followed in order to open an accommodation structure.

Opening a bed and breakfast in Rome - the basics:
Of all the accommodation structures, the easiest to open and manage is the Bed and Breakfast.
Rome is full of Bed and Breakfasts, or B&B, but the request of rooms is so high that the existing ones cannot satisfy it. B&B is defined by the law as a “private activity”, so there are no authorization or licenses involved. To open a bed and breakfast in Rome you must simply submit a declaration of beginning of activities (DIA: dichiarazione di inizio attività) to the APT offices (Agenzia Provinciale per il Turismo, Provincial Agency for Tourism), located in Via XX Settembre, 26 - 00187 ROMA (website: http://www.aptprovroma.it/index.php, information at info@aptprovroma.it). If your documentation shows that you meet or exceed the minimum requisites for opening a bed and breakfast in Rome, and you produce al the required accompanying documentation, you will receive a visit of APT inspectors and then you’ll be able to start your own bed and breakfast business in Rome.

Opening a bed and breakfast in Rome - the relevant laws:
What are the requirements for opening a bed and breakfast in Rome? According to the relevant law of the Lazio region (text in Italian):

The owner of the business must be the owner of the apartment or flat, or must have received an express authorization from the landlord. The manager of the bed and breakfast must live and have legal residence in the apartment. The rooms must be rented only “occasionally” (the law defines “occasionally” by saying that the activity must be seasonal and must close down for at least 60 days each year – these days must not necessarily be consecutive). The maximum number of rooms that can be rented is 3. The maximum number of bed that the Bed and Breakfast can have is 6. A one bed room must be at least 8 square meters large. A two bed room or double room must be at least 14 square meters large. The services offered includes the beds, breakfast and use of the bathroom. No other services and other meals can be offered. The bed and breakfast must not be organized in an “industrial way”, with employees or hired services. It must run on normal family care. Guests can stay for a maximum of 90 consecutive days.

Opening a bed and breakfast in Rome - minimum requisites:
The minimum requisites for a bed an breakfast are:

Availability of electricity, hot and cold water, heating for quests. Room sizes within the required limits (see above for number of beds and square meters). An independent door for each room, at least a window in each room. Every room must have one bed, bedside table, abat jour, chair per quest. A wardrobe, a waste basket. Breakfast must consist in food and drinks not cooked, prepared or manipulated in any way by the manager of the structure. Rooms must be cleaned every day, bed sheets and towels must be changed at least twice per week and at every new guests arrival. A first aid kit and a fire extinguisher must be readily available.

Opening a bed and breakfast in Rome - documents needed:
The manager must apply with the APT to obtain a classification for his bed and breakfast, then must submit to the relevant town office (SUAP, Servizio Unico Attività Produttive, unified office for productive activities) the following documentation:

Name and address of the bed and breakfast. Name, address, date and place of birth, fiscal code of the owner. Number of beds and rooms, confirmation of the breakfast service. The classification given by the APT. A declaration of absence of facts and elements that prevent the owner of opening or managing the structure (declaration written by the owner himself, under his responsibility). Map of the apartment. Documents proving that the manager owns or has rented the apartment. Declaration of conformity to the laws of the apartment. Price list per each room. Insurance policy against risks. If the bed and breakfast is located in a condominium, proof of the official communication given to the administrator of the condominium informing him of the beginning of bed and breakfast activity.

At the end of each month the manager of the bed and breakfast must mail the list of guests of the month (modello C59) to the APT offices located in Via XX Settembre 29, 00187 Roma.

Even if the list of documents and requirements seems long, it really isn’t a very difficult procedure and almost all the documents can be obtained easily.
There are many services agencies in Rome specialized in assisting in opening a bed and breakfast. If you want a smooth beginning, asking to one of these agency to assist you can be a good idea.

As for the revenue, the costs of maintaining the structure are more or less the same costs of managing a family home. The price of the rooms varies according to many factors, mainly the position of the bed and breakfast. There are many websites listing prices of bed and breakfast in Rome. You can look the prices on these sites in order to have an idea of what prices you may ask to your guests and what your expected revenue for a bed and breakfast activity in Rome can be.