How to Rent a House in Italy

Renting could get rather costly in Italy. There is an Italian law that forbids landlords to rent to the same tenant more than 5 years. This is to allow other people to rent as well. You must be a citizen or permanent resident of Italy in order to rent, though the landlord is not allowed to ask the person renting if they are a citizen or permanent resident.

Instructions

1. Determine how long you will be leasing the house. If you rent for two weeks, you could pay around $500 a week. You will also want to figure out where to stay since there are so many choices. There is plenty of places to rent in Italy. If you decide to rent for a long period of time they allow leases to last up to five years. The typical lease will be for four years and the rent is paid quarterly.

2. Get a real estate agent. You can find an agent through Daniela Drago or Possuma Casa which are two agents in Italy. The agent will not only help you choose which place to rent, but they can find you the best deal. In Italy, you need to be careful when choosing a non-furnished house. This may not include anything such as a refrigerator, stove, electricity, and even light switches. Yet, the renter is not be responsible for anything that needs to be fixed. In a furnished house there iare all of the appliances and furniture you will need, even light switches. The real estate agent will also be the mediator between the renter and the rentee. If the renter is late on their rent then the agent will contact the renter for the money. If there is something that needs to be fixed in an unfurnished home then the agent can contact the rentee to get them to come out and fix it.

3. Fill out paperwork. Once deciding on a home you will need to fill out a rental form agreement that will include your name and address as well as the landlords, the property address, description of the size of the property, the amount offered for rent, date of availability, a list of repairs that are needed, and the duration offer. Typically this process of finalizing a lease takes from 2 to 8 days since Italy tends to not waste time when it comes to renting housing.

4. Get compulsory insurance. This is required by Italian law. One of the more popular companies Zurich Insurance is located throughout the entire country. Then you will pay a service charge along with a deposit (that can be 1 to 3 months of rent) upon signing paperwork. The insurance will cover the house and yourself of any damages. The service charge will include heating, the up-keep of the grounds, garbage pick-up, etc. Electricity and water is a separate cost.

5. Be prepared to pay your rent every two weeks. Each week can cost anywhere from 500 to 695 euros per week depending on where you are renting. If you decide to live near or in the city it will cost no less than 695 euros a week. Living in Italy is not cheap. The first edition of the rent is due upon signing the lease along with all other fees.

Tips & Warnings

• Beware if you are American. If the Italian knows where you are from then they could increase the lease since they think Americans are wealthy.