Italian Police Shut Down B&B in Rome for not Billing Guests Properly

We want to warn anyone booking a stay in B&B’s or private apartments in Italy that the proper procedures aren’t always followed and you could end up owing money to the Italian Government.<br><br>One B&B owner we know who also happens to be a close friend was recently raided by the police and shut down. The owners were arrested and charged with Tax Fraud by the Italian government.<br><br>The guest was in the unit for 22 days and was required by law to have a copy of their ID and register with the authorities every 30 days. The B&B owner was supposed to send them a form and get them to sign it, take a copy of their passport and send it to the authorities. This must be done for ANY person staying in the country for more than 3 days.<br><br>However, the Guest never got the proper paperwork, had the copy of their passport taken by the B&B owner or signed the registration, but the B&B owner did receive the booking fee and completed another 3 stays at the same location. <br><br>When the B&B owner was arrested and charged, the guest who made the booking was also charged and must pay €3,000 in fines plus a court fee of an additional €500.<br><br>We don’t know the specifics of what happened as the B&B owner is still going through the Italian court system, but we have been told that they are most likely going to lose their B&B license and could face “a pretty penny in fines.”<br><br>Pretty crazy and we wanted to inform the community as to be aware of these possible issues even if it’s your friend or family operating a B&B.<br><br>**TL;DR** Make sure you get your papers in order when booking your stays in Italy to avoid fines and court costs. You must have your landlord register you with the authorities if you are staying in Italy and the landlord must take a copy of your passport and have you sign a form.