Piano Casa 2026: The New Rules of Real Estate Value

On May 8, 2026, Decree-Law 66/2026 — known as the Home Plan — came into force. Behind the title lies a regulatory intervention that reshapes the rules of Italian urban planning across three precise fronts: simplification of procedures, priority given to the recovery of existing assets, and quality established as a mandatory standard.

A closer reading reveals concrete opportunities for those who approach real estate with a long-term vision.

Less Bureaucracy, Greater Speed

The most significant point for private operators concerns the simplification of authorization procedures. For renovation, demolition, and reconstruction projects, the decree eliminates the obligation to obtain a building permit, replacing it with the SCIA (Certified Notification of Commencement of Activity). A shift that significantly reduces both timing and administrative discretion.

On the more complex authorization front, the decree introduces a simplified conference of services: all competent authorities must respond within 30 days, extendable to 40 in more sensitive cases. Any authority failing to respond within the deadline is deemed to have consented.

This is the principle of silent consent applied to urban planning — a cultural shift even before a legislative one, in a country where waiting for approvals has historically represented one of the greatest obstacles to real estate development.

The Recovery Paradigm

The second structural innovation concerns the relationship between new construction and existing assets.

The decree introduces a fast-track process for the reconversion of unused public buildings — former barracks, abandoned schools, deteriorated public assets — and simplifies changes of use. Even buildings with up to 25 units will now be able to follow the same rules previously applied to a single apartment. Not new construction, but the intelligent transformation of what already exists.

For those working with quality properties — whether to restore, transform, or enhance — the decree creates a favorable alignment: redevelopment projects involving existing buildings, already preferred for their uniqueness and location, now also become the most facilitated by the regulatory framework.

Quality as a Requirement

The third element concerns quality standards, which the decree transforms from a discretionary choice into a systemic requirement. All projects benefiting from the simplified procedures must comply with precise criteria: energy efficiency, environmental sustainability, accessibility, and universal design.

Regarding restrictions, developers operating under subsidized housing agreements are required to maintain the agreed use with municipalities for thirty years, with sale or rental prices discounted by at least 33% compared to market values. A stringent constraint designed for the regulated housing segment, but one with an important indirect consequence: it clearly defines the boundary between subsidized housing and the free market, reinforcing the positioning of the latter.

The overall result is a gradual raising of the quality threshold across the entire sector. For those already operating at high standards, this does not fundamentally alter day-to-day practice, but it consolidates a competitive advantage that the market, over time, tends to recognize and reward.

Three Levers, One Direction

The three levers of the Home Plan 2026 outline a regulatory framework that anyone viewing real estate through a long-term lens cannot afford to ignore.

For those who live in, manage, or enhance quality properties, this is the kind of evolution that matters: not because it changes everything overnight, but because it steers the system in the same direction in which the prime market has been moving for years.

At Krhome, we support those who wish to enhance the value of their real estate assets through constant attention to changes in the regulatory landscape — because the most interesting opportunities often emerge precisely where evolving legislation meets an asset capable of responding with solidity.