Just like most places, house hunting takes time, a good amount of time before one finally meets ‘the one’. In Italy, if you do not speak Italian, you can make a search online using Google Translate as all of the advertisements are in Italian. Moreover, as most agents and landlords do not speak or speak very little English, it might be useful to hire a translator.
What you need to know
Most of the buildings are old. If furniture is included, they are likely passed through generations. You might find yourself needing some renovation works or replacement of interior decors such as curtains. If you have a budget that is above a certain amount (> 1500€), you will find a recent or modern house with nicer designs, furnishings and good home energy ratings.
Even if the advertisement is written as ‘casa indipendente’, it could be a part of the owner’s residential home so you might find yourself living just next to the owner and his/her family.
Some un-furnished houses do not include kitchens! To our horror, we saw some houses with only protruding pipes in the room that is supposed to be a ‘kitchen’.
Beware of agents who tend to indicate that someone else is in line to rent the house or apartment and whereupon you need to decide quickly. Just take your time. If you feel right, you’ll keep thinking about the house or apartment. However, if the house/apartment is well located and well furnished with a good rental price, the advertisement might no longer be available after 24 hours. So it is a first-come-first-serve basis.
In order to understand the total cost of living in your new home, besides the rent, it is best to get familiar with the monthly utility costs, maintenance cost (which is required if the building has amenities or use third-party service providers), parking place (if this is not available at the premise), the garbage tax and the TV tax.
Costs and Regulations
- Italian social number (Codice Fiscale) is needed from all household members to make transactions. If you are a non-EU citizen, then a Permesso di Soggiorno is also required.
- If a realty agency is used, tenants pay a one-time payment of typically 10% of the annual rental fee as commission + IVA (22%) to the realtor. The commission rate may change from agency to agency. Some ask for 1 month’s rental as fee but the services they provide may also be limited.
- A realtor’s service typically includes :
- House search according to criteria
- Visits
- Providing advice with regards to regulations
- Drawing up contracts and registering them
- Helping with utility registration
- Follow-ups, etc.
- A realtor’s service typically includes :
- Tenants pay 3 or 6 months of deposit fee. Deposit fee can also be paid as a bank guarantee.
- Depending on the type of contract and how the landlord wants to declare his tax (Cedolare Secca or Regolare), the tenant may or may not need to pay a 1% tax on the annual rental amount.
- If the landlord goes for Regolare (ordinary declaration), the tenant will need to make a registration and make two official copies with stamp duties (Marca da bollo – 16€ each)
- a 2% tax (F23) on the annual rental amount has to be paid at every anniversary of the contract. Eg. if the contract was signed on the 1st of January, this tax will have to be paid before January 31st the year after.
- This tax is usually divided between the landlord and the tenant, therefore, the landlord pays 1% and the tenant pays the other 1%.
- In this system, the owner can increase rental fees according to the Italian Consumer Price Index (istat.it). Eg. in May 2018, the CPI has increased 1.1% year-over-year, so the landlord can increase the rent by 1.1% for the next 12 months.
- Depending on the type of contract and how the landlord wants to declare his tax (Cedolare Secca or Regolare), the tenant may or may not need to pay a 1% tax on the annual rental amount.
- There are three types of contracts with different durations :
- 4 + 4 years (Contratto A Canone Libero). This contract binds the owner to rent out for 4 years minimum and is renewable every 4 years. It also allows the owner to set the amount of rent as he/she deems fit.
- 3 + 2 years (Contratto A Canone Calmierato). This contract binds the owner to rent out for 3 years and is renewable every 2 years. It also means that the rent is determined by the Comune and not a price set by the landlord.
- 0 – 18 months (Contratto Ad Uso Transitorio). This contract is for short-term/temporary leasing and is ideal for people in transition (Eg. if you need to live in Brescia for some medical treatments, short-termed work contracts, etc.), students or long period holiday makers.
- There are three types of contracts with different durations :
- With a valid reason, the contract can be ceased anytime by the tenant with 6 months’ notice with no penalty.
- Do a house check with the realty agent before signing the agreement. The key is usually handed over upon signature.
- All damages due to wear and tear are borne by tenants.
- All damages due to the structure are borne by landlords.
- All utility bills (water, gas, electricity, telecommunication, garbage, tv) have to be under the tenant’s name.
Interesting to know:
The law in Italy mostly defends the tenant. For example, if there is a structural problem (Eg. internal water leakage leading to mould formation), the tenant may request the landlord to repair/fix the problem or they can use the rental money to fix the problem.
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Useful vocabulary
Affitto : To rent
Vendita : To sell
Al Mese : Per month
Villa : Bungalow
Appartamento : Apartment
Box : Garage
Posti Auto : Parkings
Camera (Camere) : Bedroom (Bedrooms)
Soggiorno pranzo : Dining room
Bagno (Bagni) : Toilet (Toilets) or Bathroom
Cucina : Kitchen
Giardino : Garden
Piscina : Swimming pool
Cancello elettronico : Electrical gate
A Schiera : Row/Terraced house
Bifamiliare : Semi-detached house
Casa independente : Detached house
