Renting Property in Italy
Finding a place to rent is fairly difficult in most towns and cities throughout Italy . Houses are particularly hard to come by; most people rent flats. Added to the scarce availability, rents tend to be very high. To rent a two-bedroom flat in Florence , for example, costs anything from 775 Euros per month, and this is exclusive of service charges and running costs. The scarcity and high cost of rented accommodation is a direct result of a fair rent act that was passed in 1978, known as the Legge dell 'Equo Canone'. The act states that the minimum lease is for four years and that the rent must conform to the rates fixed by the law. The rates are calculated according to the land registry classification and the standard of the accommodation. To find a place to rent you can:
- go to a housing agency (many agencies are only concerned with the sale and purchase of property)
- consult the local tourist office
- look in the local papers
- ask around locally
- walk the streets in the area in which you plan to live looking for afitasi or da afitare (to rent) signs posted on front doors.
Once you have found a place you will have to negotiate terms, and it may be in your interest to offer to pay in undeclared cash in return for a lower rent. The landlord can ask for a deposit of up to the value of three months' rent.
If you are renting a flat in an apartment block with more than five proprietors you will be liable for joint service charges. These include such things as air conditioning, cleaning services and lift maintenance and are arranged by a joint owners' assembly, known as a condominio. The service charges also usually encompass the cost of central heating which is run off a communal boiler. Italy has official heating times, running from October to April, which means that boilers in apartment blocks are not lit outside these times. If you wish to contest any of the service charges or facilities, the assembly will put your issue to the vote.
You may be interested to know that once you are settled in a rented flat you cannot be legally evicted except by court order. Harassment of tenants is also illegal.
