Today I had the experience of understanding a bit of the mind of a right-wing populist Italian voter. They also, like me, are worried and disturbed about the house rent prices going to the moon, just like the left is. However, they attribute the reason for that to “influencers coming down from Milan and having lots of money to rent here, which makes the prices go up”.

It’s a theory. Reminds me of those in economics that focus their attention on the side of demand instead of the side of supply/production. I’d say the prices are not made by the demand. They, particularly in the house rent sector, are made by the supply side due to their overwhelming strength in a sector that is based around a fundamental need. House owners are way too free to make up prices completely without check, sometimes forcing people who live somewhere because they are working or studying there, to move further from the city, further from their place of work or study.

Yes, the problem of what I call plastic tourism for sure needs to be discussed and addressed. However, blaming the exorbitant rent prices on rich influencers from Milan (when we don’t even live anywhere close to Milan) seems really naive and to me feels like a distraction from the real problem. House owners asking for thousands of euros a month and taking advantage of workers or young students who can’t refuse because they need a house somewhere near their place of work… Makes me icky and sick.