What is a seasonal rental?
A seasonal rental means letting the home to one tenant for a whole season, usually the ski winter or the summer months. A short-term rental puts the home on the market for stays of a few days, with guests changing at every booking.
With a seasonal let you receive an agreed amount and have few handovers; with short-term rental you have more work and more variability, but you can sell peak periods at higher rates.
| Short-term rental | Seasonal rental | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | A few days per booking, up to 30 per contract | A whole season |
| Income | Variable, higher in strong periods | Agreed amount, more predictable |
| Work | Check-in, cleaning and support at every stay | Few handovers |
| Personal use | You block the dates | Not during the contract |
| Paperwork and compliance | CIN, regional code, guest registration, ISTAT reporting, tourist tax | Depends on the contract chosen |
Short-term, seasonal or transitional: which contract applies?
For the Italian Revenue Agency, a short-term rental is a residential contract lasting no more than 30 days, and if the same parties sign several contracts in a year the limit applies to each one, as its guide to short-term rentals explains (in Italian). For longer periods you use a tourist let or a transitional contract (contratto transitorio), which under art. 5 of Law 431/1998 and the decree of 16 January 2017 cannot exceed 18 months (in Italian).
A transitional contract, however, needs a stated reason for its temporary nature and, above 30 days, supporting documents; without them the contract can be converted to the standard length. That is why the contract should be chosen before publishing the listing, not after.
Which earns more in the mountains, short-term or seasonal?
Short-term rental earns more when the home fills up in the strong weeks, but the comparison must be made on net income, after fees, cleaning, utilities and tax. A seasonal let earns less, but with lower costs and risks.
We see it every season in the apartments we manage in Cervinia: weekly rentals are in low demand, and visitors want flexible dates, often for 3 or 5 nights. A home set up on Saturday-to-Saturday blocks loses exactly these bookings, while a calendar with different minimum stays by period captures them.
Hence the practical advice: before switching to a seasonal let because "short-term rental doesn't work", check whether the problem was the approach or the calendar rules.
Is a mixed approach worth it?
Yes, it is often the best solution: short-term rental in the strong periods of winter and summer, and a longer let, or personal use, in the quieter periods. That way you sell the most valuable nights at high rates and do not leave the home empty for weeks.
A mixed approach works if the calendar is managed carefully: dates blocked in time, prices that follow demand, and the right contract for each period.
Can I use the home if I rent it for the season?
With a seasonal let the home belongs to the tenant for the whole contract, so you cannot use it that season. With short-term rental you block the dates you want to keep, and the rest of the calendar stays on sale.
For many second-home owners this is the deciding point: a seasonal let gives predictable income, short-term rental leaves you free to spend the weeks that matter to you in the mountains.
What rules apply in 2026 to short-term rentals?
To rent to tourists you need the national CIN code and, where the region requires it, a regional code, which the Ministry of Tourism states is not replaced by the CIN. Guests must be registered with the police through Alloggiati Web within 24 hours of arrival.
On tax, from 2026 the cedolare secca flat tax on short-term rentals is 26%, reduced to 21% for a single property, and the regime applies to a maximum of two apartments a year according to the Italian Revenue Agency. In the Aosta Valley the regional code is the CIR: the procedure is on our page on short-term rental management in the Aosta Valley. With Vesta the CIN and regional code are registered to us, and any fine falls on Vesta, not on the owner.
How do you choose for your home?
Start from three questions: how many weeks you want to use the home, how much work you want to delegate, and how strong demand is in your area during peak periods. If you want to use the home and your area performs well in peak periods, short-term or mixed rental earns more; if you only want certain income, a seasonal let is simpler.
We manage mountain homes in Cervinia and also offer our service in Valtournenche, Courmayeur and Cortina d'Ampezzo.