If you have a property you’d like to rent out longer term in Italy, the rules are not necessarily simpler than those for running a tourist rental.
As with everything in Italy, renting any type of property involves plenty of strict requirements and regulations designed to protect both tenants and landlords.
Following the rules will ensure you’re on solid ground if anything goes south. And if you get things right as a landlord, you could have a steady source of income for years to come.
Here’s what to do – and what to avoid – when listing your property.
What to know heading in
Compared to many other European countries, Italy has strict regulations for rentals designed to protect tenants and ensure their stability in their place of residence.
As a result, your options for negotiating lease terms are relatively limited – but in exchange, you will be guaranteed a stable tenant for a long period of time.
Italian law allows for only three types of long-term rental leases: an ordinary or '4+4' lease; a determined or '3+2' lease; and a transitory lease, valid for up to a maximum of 18 months.
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: What you need to know about navigating Italian rental contracts
4+4 leases provide tenants with a guaranteed lease at a single rate for a minimum of four years, with the option to automatically renew for another four years if neither party objects.
Alternatively, landlords can pursue a shorter 3+2 lease, meaning a guaranteed three years with an option to renew for another two. These leases, however, must be offered at rental rates set by the region or local municipality, often well below market rate.
In exchange, landlords can benefit from a lower tax rate known as cedolare secca.
Instead of paying Italy’s standard IRPEF tax on rental income, landlords will be able to pay a flat rate of just 9 percent (lowered from 10 percent in Italy’s 2025 budget law), meaning any rental losses could be recouped through tax savings.
Transitory leases are subject to different requirements. Specifically, you must be able to offer a reason why the tenant needs temporary housing (for instance, an apprenticeship, short-term work contract, or degree programme).
Remember: it’s prohibited to use these contracts to rent to tourists.
For details on how to rent your property to tourists in 2025, see our guide HERE.
Know your contracts
The first thing you will want to do is get yourself a draft rental contract (known as a contratto di locazione in Italian).
There are many free templates available online, but you may want to ask an Italian-speaking lawyer to look over the required documentation before you sign.
To complete your contract, you'll need the following documents:
- a cadastral survey (visura catastale) outlining the details of the property, including the measurements of each room;
- an energy performance certificate (attestato di prestazione energetica, or APE) based on the efficiency the property's heating and cooling systems, as well wall insulation;
- a floor plan of the property (planimetria catastale);
- a certificate of habitability (certificato di agibilità) provided by the municipality or a licensed inspector;
- a copy of the property ownership deed (atto di provenienza), as well as condominium regulations if the property is in a shared building.
You’ll also need a valid tax code and identity document to register the contract.
Your tenant will need to provide their own.
The rental contract will also spell out your obligations as a landlord, including providing and maintaining the premises in a clean and habitable condition (in Italy, this often means whitewashing the walls before each new tenant moves in).
After your tenant moves in, you’ll also be responsible for any type of ‘special maintenance’ (manutenzione straordinaria), which includes major repair or replacement work, and work affecting the property’s structure (for instance, walls, facade, roof, or tiling).
For their part, tenants are required to return the unit to you in the condition they received it, minus regular wear and tear. This often includes an obligation to repaint the property before moving out.
The standard terms of a 4+4 or 3+2 rental agreement require tenants to provide six months’ notice by registered mail if they intend to terminate the lease.
This is a clause that you’re free to negotiate with your tenant – just make sure it is included in the contract.
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How Florence has changed its rules on tourist lets in 2025
Remember, if you’re renting on a 3+2 contract, you’re legally required to stick to certain rental rates.
Make sure to check with your local or regional authorities before drafting a contract.
What about security deposits?
Italy allows landlords to collect up to a maximum of three months’ rent as a security deposit (deposito cauzionale, or simply cauzione, in Italian).
This is an amount that can be negotiated on a case-by-case basis with your tenant (provided that it doesn’t exceed three months’ rent).
The deposit can only be used to pay for damages caused by the tenant or to recover unpaid rent.
The remaining amount must be returned after the tenant returns the keys to the property, usually within two months.
If not specified in your contract, you’re also required to pay back any interest you earned on the deposit over the years you held it. This should be paid out to the tenant annually.
You’re also allowed to request an additional deposit (known as caparra) to confirm or hold the rental, and that the first month’s rent be paid in advance.
Inspect, sign, and register
Once you have your contact, it’s advisable to inspect the property together with your tenant and document any damages that may be present before their tenure.
This will protect you in the event that damages are discovered at the termination of their contract.
Take photos and complete a written list of damages, and ensure both you and your tenant sign it.
Register your contract and pay taxes
Any rental contract over 30 days must be registered with Italy’s Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) within 30 days of signing.
Failing to do so could result in serious legal consequences.
Unlike with short-term rentals, though, there’s generally no requirement to notify your local authority. Registering your contract on the Agenzia delle Entrate’s RLI portal will do the job.
To register, you will need to pay a €16 stamp duty for every four pages of your contract, plus a tax equal to 2 percent of the total rental value of the contract, with a minimum of €67.
For example, if your tenant is paying €800 a month on a 4+4 contract, you will need to pay €192 (2 percent of €9,600) in tax for each year. Generally, the tax is split evenly between the landlord and the tenant.
This tax (known as imposta di registro) is significantly lower if you use a 3+2 contract. In that case, the 2 percent tax is assessed on just 70 percent of the rental income. In the example above, that would reduce the total tax to €134.4 a year.
READ ALSO: Eight things landlords in Italy can never ask of tenants
You can choose to pay the tax every year or all at once. According to Italy’s Agenzia delle Entrate, paying it all at once entitles you to a partial discount.
The imposta di registro is charged in addition to Italy’s IRPEF income tax, which you’ll pay on your rental income when you report it on your tax return.
Alternatively, you can opt for the cedolare secca regime.
Instead of paying the registration tax (imposta di registro) and IRPEF on your rental income, you will pay a flat tax of 21 percent on rental income each year – or 9 percent if you are using a 3+2 contract.
What about renting through an agency?
If all this sounds a bit much, you can always take your documents to a local rental agency and have them manage the process for you.
Agencies can help advertise your property, screen tenants, and ensure all documents and contracts are registered properly.
They may even help manage your tenant for years to come, offering professional guidance if you find yourself in the middle of a dispute or are pursuing eviction.
However, all that help doesn’t come cheap.
Agencies regularly charge commissions ranging from 10 to 15 percent of the total annual rent, with the fee usually split equally between landlord and tenant.
These payments are also subject to 22 percent VAT, meaning they can easily amount to thousands of euros when all is said and done.
Agencies may be indispensable if your grasp of Italian – and Italian bureaucracy – is not strong.
If you choose to rent out your property through an agency, make sure to be clear on any fees upfront.
You can find more information and guides about renting in Italy in this section.
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