The days of arriving late at an Airbnb in Italy and opening up the keybox to let yourself will soon be over after the country issued a ban on self-check-ins under a new law it says is needed to combat potential terrorism.

Italy is to crack down on short-term let platforms such as Airbnb by decreeing that property owners can no longer use metal key boxes as a means of allowing tourists to access rental apartments.

Tourists in Italy will no longer be able to access short-term rentals using key boxes after the country's police chief said owners must verify the identity of guests in person. The move has been brought in as a security measure and follows a similar step being taken in Florence.