Como Travel Guide
Como Apartments: Rules, Tax and Where to Rent
Como apartments sit under the same national rules as every holiday rental in Italy, and those rules are the most useful filter a visitor has. Every legal listing must carry a national CIN code, shown in the advert and outside the building, and every unit let to tourists must have working gas and carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers. The city charges its tourist tax on an apartment stay at the same rate as a B&B, and the host must identify you in person and register your ID with the police within 24 hours. This page explains those rules, compares the tax with hotels in Como, and sets out which part of the city suits an apartment, from the walled old town to the station streets and Brunate on the hill. It names no individual apartments and prints no rents. Start the wider trip on the Como guide home page.
Quick answer The essentials on renting Como apartments
Como apartments fall under Italian rules that require every listing and every building to display a national CIN code, with working gas and carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers inside. The tourist tax is $3.46 (€3) per person per night for a maximum of 4 consecutive nights, and hosts must identify every guest in person and send the data to the police within 24 hours of arrival.
Key takeaways
- Check the CIN code before booking. It must appear on the listing and on the building itself, and a missing code carries fines from 500 to 5,000 euro per property. Details in the CIN section.
- Budget $3.46 (€3) per person per night for the tourist tax, the same rate as a B&B, capped at 4 consecutive nights. See the worked sums in the tax section.
- Not sure an apartment suits you? Compare the trade-offs with Como hotels in the table below.
- If you cook in your apartment, the small-group local food tour covers pizza, polenta, cured meats, sciatt, gelato and coffee across four or more stops.
Como Apartment or Hotel: The Differences That Cost Money
The tourist tax, the check-in routine and the safety rules differ between apartments and hotels in Como, and the differences show up in what you pay and how you arrive. Tax figures come from the Comune di Como tariff sheet, check-in and code rules from national law.
| Question | Apartment or holiday rental | Hotel 3-star | Hotel 4-5 star |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourist tax per person per night | $3.46 (€3) | $4.61 (€4) | $5.77 (€5) |
| Tax for 2 adults, 4 nights | $27.70 (€24) | $36.90 (€32) | $46.10 (€40) |
| Check-in rule | In-person ID required, confirmed by Consiglio di Stato ruling n. 9101/2025 | In-person ID, the same national rule | In-person ID, the same national rule |
| National code on the listing | CIN required on every listing and on the building | CIN required for hotel structures too | CIN required for hotel structures too |
| Who registers you with the police | The host, via Alloggiati Web within 24 hours | The hotel, via Alloggiati Web within 24 hours | The hotel, via Alloggiati Web within 24 hours |
| Car access to the walled centre | No apartment permit category, permits need SPID or CIE | Hotel guests are a ZTL permit category, ask the hotel | Hotel guests are a ZTL permit category, ask the hotel |
The tax is charged per person per night for a maximum of 4 consecutive nights, and under-14s are exempt in every category. Figures current for in Q3 2026.
The CIN Code: How to Tell a Legal Como Apartment
The Codice Identificativo Nazionale, or CIN, is the single clearest signal that a Como apartment is let legally. It was created by article 13-ter of DL 145/2023, converted by Law 191/2023, and the Ministry of Tourism assigns it through the BDSR database when the owner or manager requests it. Once assigned, the code has to appear in two places you can check without any local knowledge. First, it must be shown outside the building itself, so when you arrive you can look for the plate or sign by the door. Second, it must appear in every advertisement wherever it is published, including the booking portals, and the portals themselves carry the same duty.
The law also ties the CIN to safety equipment inside the flat. Every unit rented for tourist or short-term use must have functioning devices for detecting combustible gases and carbon monoxide, plus portable fire extinguishers positioned where you can see and reach them. The extinguisher rule is specific: one for every 200 square metres of floor or fraction thereof, with a minimum of one per floor.
Sanctions under the article are in force, so a current listing has no excuse for a missing code.
- The CIN is assigned by the Ministry of Tourism via the BDSR portal, not by the city of Como.
- It must be displayed outside the building and in every advertisement, portals included.
- Combustible gas and carbon monoxide detectors must be present and working.
- Portable fire extinguishers: one per 200 square metres, minimum one per floor.
- Lombardy's older regional code, the CIR, has been replaced by the national CIN, per the Provincia di Como.
The fine bands attached to article 13-ter tell you how seriously the legislature took this. They apply to the host, not to you.
| Breach | Fine range |
|---|---|
| Operating without a CIN | 800 to 8,000 euro |
| CIN exists but is not displayed or indicated | 500 to 5,000 euro per property, plus removal of the listing |
| Missing gas or CO detectors, or missing fire extinguishers | 600 to 6,000 euro per violation |
| Missing the SCIA filing for an entrepreneurial rental activity | 2,000 to 10,000 euro |
Sources: the tourist tax tariff sheet and the Provincia di Como page on CIR registration.
Check-In, ID and the Police Registration
Two national rules shape how you enter a Como apartment, and both are enforceable against the host rather than the guest. Understanding them saves you an awkward arrival.
First, the host must send your identity data to the police through the Alloggiati Web portal within 24 hours of your arrival. This follows from article 109 of the public security code and applies to every kind of accommodation, from apartments to hotels. To do it, the host needs your document details, which is why any legitimate host asks for passports or ID cards at check-in.
Refusing to show ID puts the host in breach, so cooperate.
Why the Host Must Meet You in Person
Second, identification has to happen face to face. An Interior Ministry circular required in-person identification of guests and excluded pure key-box self check-in with no live identity check. Consiglio di Stato ruling n. 9101/2025 upheld that requirement.
The ruling reportedly also admits real-time video identification as an alternative, so a live video call can count, but a code to a key box with no live check does not.
What to Do if a Host Sends Only a Key-box Code
If a Como apartment host sends a box code and never asks to see you or your document, something is wrong on their side. Ask for a live video identification at minimum. If the host refuses both, the check-in does not follow the rule the Consiglio di Stato upheld, and that is a reason to contact the booking platform.
Sources: Polizia di Stato, Alloggiati Web and Consiglio di Stato ruling n. 9101/2025.
Tourist Tax on a Como Apartment
Como charges its imposta di soggiorno per person per night, differentiated by accommodation type. Holiday rentals, apartments, B&Bs and affittacamere all pay the same $3.46 (€3) rate, while hotels pay more in line with their star rating. The tax runs for a maximum of 4 consecutive nights, so longer stays stop accruing after night four, and children under 14 are exempt. One practical warning: the Comune's own page describes the accommodation manager as the party who collects the tax from guests at the property. It does not state whether booking platforms collect and remit it, so expect to pay it in cash or by card when you arrive, and ask for the receipt the manager is required to issue.
Worked Sums for Common Groups
These sums use the $3.46 (€3) apartment rate from the Comune tariff sheet, the 4-night cap and the under-14 exemption. They are what you should expect to hand over at the property, on top of the rent you paid on the booking site.
| Guests | Nights | Tax, our sum |
|---|---|---|
| 2 adults | 3 nights | $20.80 (€18) |
| 2 adults | 7 nights, capped at 4 | $27.70 (€24) |
| 2 adults plus a child of 12 | 5 nights, capped at 4, child exempt | $27.70 (€24) |
| 4 adults | 4 nights | $55.40 (€48) |
Where an Apartment Works in Como
Como is small, but the difference between an apartment inside the walls, one by the station and one on the lakefront is real. Pick by how you arrive and how much you value stepping out the door into the middle of things. Our where to stay in Como page covers the full picture, and the Como map shows every area at a glance.
Old Town, Inside the Walls
Apartments in the Città Murata put the cathedral and the ferry pier on Piazza Cavour on foot. The area is covered on the walled old town page. The trade-off is the car: the walled city is a ZTL all year with camera gates, so book here only if you arrive by train or plan to park outside. Search Vrbo for old town apartments.
Around Como San Giovanni Station
The streets around Como San Giovanni station suit anyone arriving on the Milano Centrale line or heading on to Switzerland. It sits uphill from the lake, so you trade a short climb for convenience with luggage. Search Booking.com for station-area apartments.
Lakefront and Borgo Vico
West along the shore toward the lakefront district, the ground is flat along the shore towards Villa Olmo, whose park is free to enter. Search Booking.com for lakefront apartments.
Brunate, Above the City
Brunate is a separate village on the hill, reached by the funicular in 7 minutes, running 06:00-24:00 with a one-way fare of $4.27 (€3.70). An apartment there means quiet and views, and a weekly funicular card at $13.27 (€11.50) or a 10-ride carnet at $38.10 (€33) makes commuting down cheap. Read our Brunate guide and the funicular page before committing. Search Vrbo for Brunate apartments.
Sources: the funicular fare sheet and the ATM funicular page.
Apartments and Cars: The ZTL Problem
The single biggest mistake with a Como apartment is booking one inside the walls while arriving by car. The walled historic centre is a ZTL, a limited traffic zone, active all year and enforced by cameras at the entry gates. Cameras record unauthorised entries, and there is no published self-service way for a visitor to register a plate.
Why the Permit Route Is Closed to Most Visitors
Access requests are online only and require SPID or CIE, the Italian digital identity systems that visitors almost never have. Hotel guests are one of the Comune's permit categories, but holiday apartments are not named among them. Do not count on a permit for an apartment stay.
Where to Park Instead
The CSU car park on Via Auguadri, near the courthouse, retrieves cars at any hour. Night tariff 20:30-06:30 for 10 hours is $8.65 (€7.50), a day rate of 8 hours is $17.88 (€15.50), and a monthly overnight pass for 19:00-08:00 costs $46.10 (€40). Our Como parking page and getting around guide cover the rest, and car rental in Como makes sense mainly for day trips out of the city, not for the stay itself.
Source: the Comune di Como ZTL service page and the CSU tariff sheet for Autosilo via Auguadri.
Red Flags on a Como Apartment Listing
Italian law gives you a checklist, and every item on it is public. Ask the host about any item the listing does not answer before you pay.
- No CIN code anywhere on the listing. The law requires it in every advertisement, and portals must show it. A missing code means fines from 500 to 5,000 euro for the host, so a serious operator displays it.
- An old CIR code only. Lombardy's regional code has been replaced by the national CIN, per the Provincia di Como. A listing still leading with a CIR has not updated.
- The host cannot explain the tourist tax. It is $3.46 (€3) per person per night, capped at 4 nights, and the manager collects it and issues a receipt. A host should know this figure.
- Key-box-only check-in with no offer of a live ID check. The Consiglio di Stato ruling n. 9101/2025 requires in-person or real-time video identification.
- No answer about gas or carbon monoxide detectors or a fire extinguisher when you ask. These are legal requirements in every tourist rental, one extinguisher per 200 square metres with a minimum of one per floor.
- The listing claims free ZTL parking inside the old town. No visitor can drive into the walled centre without a permit, and permits need SPID or CIE. Treat the claim as false.
Tours for Apartment Guests Who Cook
An apartment kitchen makes a food tour more useful. The food tour meets on Piazza Duomo and runs three and a half hours across four or more stops, the pasta and tiramisu class is held at a local's home near Como, and the guided walk covers the historic centre in two hours. The food tour and the class both cancel free up to 24 hours before.
from $113.50
Lake Como: Small-Group Local Food Tour with Full Meal & Wine
Three and a half hours walking Como's centre across four or more food stops, pizza, polenta, cured meats, sciatt, gelato and coffee, with wine included and a local guide.
Check Availability
from $102.03
Como: Pasta and Tiramisu Class at a Local's Home with Wine
A hands-on class making two pasta types and tiramisu at a local's home near Como, with wine, Prosecco and nibbles included. All dietary requirements can be accommodated on request.
Check Availability
from $43.56
Como: Guided City Tour
A two-hour guided walk through Como's historic centre, taking in the Cathedral, the Social Theatre and the medieval walls from the outside. Entrance tickets to any monument are not included.
Check AvailabilityPrices, ratings and details are the platform's own. dollar figures are the listed prices — the platform bills in your account's currency.
Other Ways to Stay in Como
Apartments are one option among several. If the check-in rules or the tourist tax put you off, these pages cover the alternatives in the same depth.
The best hotels in Como
Staffed reception, an ID check built into arrival and no key-box confusion. Compare the hotel option with the table above before you decide.
Cheap hotels in Como
Hostels and campsites pay the lowest tax, $2.31 (€2). See the ways to pay less.
Where to stay in Como
The full neighbourhood breakdown, from the walled city to Brunate, with who each area suits. Start with where to stay if you have not chosen a district yet.
Como Apartments: Questions
What is a CIN code on a Como apartment listing?
The CIN, Codice Identificativo Nazionale, is the national identifier the Ministry of Tourism assigns to every tourist rental through its BDSR database. Article 13-ter of DL 145/2023 requires it to be displayed outside the building and in every advertisement wherever published, portals included. It replaced Lombardy's regional CIR, per the Provincia di Como. Check the CIN section for the fines attached to a missing code.
How much tourist tax do you pay in a Como apartment?
Apartments and holiday rentals pay the same rate as B&Bs and affittacamere, $3.46 (€3) per person per night under the Comune tariff sheet. The tax runs for a maximum of 4 consecutive nights and under-14s are exempt. Two adults staying a week therefore pay $27.70 (€24) in total. Worked sums for other group sizes are in the tax section.
Can I self check-in to an apartment in Como?
Not with a key box alone. An Interior Ministry circular required in-person identification of guests, and Consiglio di Stato ruling n. 9101/2025 upheld it. The ruling reportedly admits real-time video identification, so a live video call can replace a doorstep meeting, but a code to a box with no live check does not comply. See the check-in section.
Is an apartment inside the city walls a problem with a car?
Yes. The walled centre is a ZTL enforced by cameras all year, and access permits are requested online only with SPID or CIE, Italian digital IDs visitors usually lack. Holiday apartments are not a named permit category. Park at a car park, for example the CSU garage on Via Auguadri, where 10 night hours cost $8.65 (€7.50). Details in the ZTL section and our parking guide.
Are Como apartments cheaper than hotels?
The rent itself is set by the market and we do not publish rates. What we can compare is the tourist tax: an apartment costs $3.46 (€3) per person per night, a 3-star hotel $4.61 (€4) and a 4-5 star hotel $5.77 (€5), capped at 4 nights. Two adults over 4 nights pay $27.70 (€24), $36.90 (€32) or $46.10 (€40) respectively. The full comparison is in the table.
Who collects the tourist tax on a Como holiday rental?
The accommodation manager collects the tax from guests at the property and pays it to the Comune, issuing a receipt. The Comune's own page does not state whether booking platforms collect and remit the tax on the manager's behalf, so plan to pay it on arrival rather than expecting it on your booking invoice. Brunate and Cernobbio are separate comuni with their own rules, covered in the tax section.
Do Como apartments need smoke or gas detectors?
The law requires working devices for detecting combustible gases and carbon monoxide in every unit rented for tourist or short-term use, plus portable fire extinguishers at one per 200 square metres with a minimum of one per floor. Missing devices carry fines of 600 to 6,000 euro. Ask about them at check-in if you cannot see them, and read the safety rules before booking.
Como Apartments on Film
Three apartment walk-throughs in and around Como, useful for seeing the layout and the stairs before you book.
Gem of the Lake - Luxury Apartment Como Old Town | Como, Italy | Hotel Review 🛏️
An apartment in Como old town reviewed, the area inside the walls.
Video: Hotel Vibe ItalyGinepro & Salvia Apartments in Como by Rent All Como | Como, Italy | Hotel Review 🏨
Holiday apartments in Como city on camera, a sense of size and kitchen.
Video: Hotel Scout ItalyComo Lake Panorama Apartment Olivia | Como, Italy | Hotel Review 🛏️
A lake-view apartment in Como reviewed, the view that sets the price.
Video: Italy Stay GuideVideos load from YouTube only when you press play.
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