A 94-year-old widow in Florence faces losing the home where she has lived for more than six decades after being told her monthly rent could rise from €450 to €1,200. Her case has drawn attention to the pressure facing older tenants as housing costs increase across Tuscany.
Franca, who is almost blind and uses a walking frame, does not yet know that her tenancy may not be renewed. Her daughter told Italian newspaper Corriere Fiorentino that she has not been able to tell her mother because of the emotional impact the news could have.
Rent increase puts long-term Florence home at risk
Franca has lived in the approximately 70-square-metre flat since the early 1960s. She shared the property with her husband, and her daughter was born there. The apartment contains family photographs, paintings of Florence’s streets and other personal memories built up over generations.
The current tenancy is due to expire in February. According to the family, the landlord’s representatives said the contract would not be renewed on its existing terms. Franca could remain in the property only if the rent increased to €1,200 a month.
That would represent an increase of €750 each month, or more than two and a half times the current rent. The family says Franca’s income consists of a minimum pension and her late husband’s survivor’s pension, leaving little money for food and other essentials if the proposed rent were imposed.
“If she had to pay €1,200 in rent, she would be left with practically nothing to live on,” her daughter told the newspaper.
The daughter said the family could contribute towards a moderate increase, but described the proposed figure as unaffordable. She also said there had been no meaningful opportunity to negotiate a compromise with the property’s management.
Housing pressure extends beyond holiday rentals
The building contains several apartments owned by the same landlord. It was once largely occupied by Florentine families, including households that had remained there for generations. Over time, many of those tenants have moved out.
Franca’s daughter said she understood that the apartments were not being converted into holiday lets and remained ordinary residential properties. In her view, the dispute instead reflects a push to obtain higher returns from long-term rentals.
That distinction is important in Florence, where public debate about housing often focuses on the growth of short-term tourist accommodation. The case shows that long-term tenants can also face insecurity even when a property remains part of the conventional rental market.
Tuscany eviction figures underline wider concern
Franca’s situation comes amid broader concern about evictions and affordability in Tuscany. The source report said 2,427 eviction orders were issued across the region in 2025, while Florence accounted for about 35% of enforcement requests filed in Tuscany.
Eviction orders and enforcement requests do not necessarily mean that every tenant has already been removed from a home. However, the figures indicate the scale of pressure facing renters and the importance of legal advice when a tenancy is approaching renewal or termination.
Franca’s family has contacted Sunia, an Italian tenants’ union, for assistance. The union may be able to clarify the legal position, review the tenancy arrangements and advise the family on possible negotiations or support measures.
Why the case recalls Spain’s Maricarmen
The Florence dispute has been compared with the case of María del Carmen Abascal, widely known as Maricarmen. The 87-year-old became a symbol of Spain’s housing protests after a sharp rent increase contributed to her eviction from her Madrid home. She died in hospital several days later.
The two cases are not identical, and the legal circumstances differ between Italy and Spain. But both have focused attention on the vulnerability of older people whose homes are tied to decades of family history and whose incomes cannot easily absorb sudden housing costs.
For Franca’s daughter, the central issue is not that rent should never change. It is whether a 94-year-old tenant with limited income can be given a realistic chance to remain in the home where she has spent most of her life.
What happens next for the Florence tenant?
The immediate deadline is the expiry of Franca’s contract in February. Until the family receives legal advice and establishes the precise terms of the tenancy, it remains unclear whether the proposed rent is final, whether negotiations are possible or what protections may apply.
The family’s stated preference is to find an arrangement that allows Franca to stay. Her daughter has said she would help with a manageable increase, but believes the proposed rent is beyond what the household can afford.
The case highlights a difficult balance in the rental market: property owners may seek higher returns, while long-term tenants, particularly pensioners, can face severe hardship when income remains fixed. It also raises wider questions about the availability of affordable housing and protections for elderly renters in major Italian cities.
Conclusion
Franca’s case is a personal housing crisis, but it also reflects a wider affordability problem in Florence and Tuscany. The outcome will depend on the tenancy’s legal terms, discussions with the landlord and any support available through the tenants’ union. For now, the family’s priority is to secure a fair agreement that prevents a 94-year-old woman from losing the only home she has known for more than 60 years.
