ULTIMATE Guide to Finding an Apartment in Italy - Red Flags and All!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 มิ.ย. 2024
- Landlords asking for payoffs, fake contracts, and you thought I would just be talking about the fun stuff? Finding an apartment to rent in Italy is not for the weak-hearted - I know, I’ve been there. Now I’m bringing my years of experience to help you see the red flags…and run! You CAN find a nice apartment, and this video will help you to find out how.
How do you find an apartment in Italy? How does rent work? I have the answers to all your questions, and some that you wouldn’t have thought to ask. I hope this guide helps you dodge shady situations so you can find the best place to call “home” when you move to Italy.
Suffice to say that I am not a lawyer, so I can't give legal advice. These are just experiences I have had or have known about from people I know. You can always reference your rental contract, or look for tenant laws online. My best advice is to always ask an Italian friend if something sounds normal, they will know best!
Links for sites to search for homes:
idealista.it
immobiliare.it
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00:00 Introduction
01:08 How to look for an apartment
03:59 Do you want to rent a room, a studio, a one-bedroom?
05:42 Do you want a furnished or unfurnished apartment?
07:55 Outdoor spaces
09:01 Do you need an elevator?
10:06 Do you need a building with a doorman?
11:01What are the additional costs of renting an apartment?
16;45 How to call a prospective landlord to visit the apartment?
19:08 How to rental contracts work in Italy?
20:32 Registering your rental contract with the Agenzia Entrate
23:43 Dealing with your landlord
26:04 How to protect yourself from getting taken advantage of
28:11 What is the ground floor?
29:16 Mold in the apartment
29:40 Temperature in the apartment
32:03 Closing thoughts and words of advice
***
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Yep, this is good advice, well articulated, mirrors my experience moving to Germany..”the norms and expectations” are different, but you can and it can totally wrong foot you for awhile… yes you can try to negotiate some items …good of you to share 😊
Excellent video with the best information. I come to Italy once a year and rent for a month and you've helped me see what it will be like to look for something to rent longterm. I'm subscribing. Grazie! Buongiorno from Cefalu.
Thank you Mary! I'm glad it was helpful! Enjoy Cefalù!
Very helpful. Thank you.
THANKS! for this comprehensive video!!❤
Thank you! I’m glad it was helpful (:
Wonderful and informative video! Thank-you!
Thank you for watching! I’m so glad it was helpful :)
Bravo! Thanks for the great info.
Thank you for watching! I’m glad it was helpful (:
Thank you for your insightful videos.
Air conditioning? One apt manager thought having fans meant that the apt had air conditioning.
We are retired (I taught English), with modest income from pensions, social security, and our rented condo in Portland, Oregon.
We just completed four months in Lviv helping a new school open. And we fell in love with the ''old-town" look of Lviv and Krakow. We love the flat, less hilly aspect of the town square centers.
Where would you recommend that we begin our search for an apartment in Italy?
My wife has MS, so healthcare and air conditioning is critical.
Thank you!!
Dean & Cindy
Hi Dean and Cindy! Thank you for watching 😊 Because you have certain things that a very important, like to have a hospital nearby, I would put that at the top of the list. I would also consider looking into smaller cities that still have hospitals for example, but where you could also get better quality housing at a lower cost than in the larger capitals. I think that would also allow for a more laid back pace of daily living like the one you described.
Of course, there are several cities in Italy to choose from, each with their own character. Perhaps a place to start looking could be somewhere like Trieste, or Verona, or Bolzano? I actually have not been to these cities (yet!) but they are more medium-sized cities in the northeastern regions that bring to mind the type of city you are describing :)
Best of luck on your new adventure!
Just daydreaming, but Wow! I feel like I just attended a symposium or "Ted Talks." So much wonderful information. Sorry for your challenging experiences, but I'm happy that you decided to use that for good. Well done on you. I subbed just because I believe that you have a Kind Heart. A rarity in this world. Thank you!
Thank you for watching, and for your kind comment! I really appreciate it :)
Excellent video ! Unlike you I am Italian. Fluent in italian but I've never lived there permanently (excpet ages 1.5-4.5). This video is pure gold (oro colato). Complimenti.
Hi! Grazie per aver guardato il mio video! I am actually half-Italian, which is the reason that I have come to live in Sicily 😊 Thank you for watching!
wow thank you so much. this information is very useful for me. God bless
Thank you! I'm so glad it was helpful for you!
I loved the video. I also live in Palermo and I noticed some mold starting to form during our first winter here. I took care of that myself and then I bought a couple of really powerful dehumidifiers; problem solved. Thank you for your insights...
Thank you for watching! Yes given the amount of mold cleaning products I’ve seen stocked at Leroy Merlin for example I don’t think it’s an uncommon problem, but definitely one that needs to be taken care of!
Thanks for the very informative video. Did you notice any significant difference between how it was when you came to Italy and nowadays?
Thank you! I am glad it was useful. The only difference I've noticed is that the average prices are going up, which of course happens over time. I also live in an area with a long tourist season, and I see many landlords choosing to create private bnbs's instead, meaning there are less apartments available for full-time renters who live in the city. If you are looking in a city or area where tourism is only a small sector this may be less of a concern.
Wonderful video! My wife and I are currently looking for an apartment, so this helps a LOT. Was curious - For self-employed people, do landlords typically ask for some sort of "proof of income" like bank statements or tax forms?
Our most recent response was from a private landlord, who mentioned the following: "The apartment is rented only to people with certified income in Italy and guarantees."
Hi! Thank you! I'm so glad you found the video helpful! So here would be my advice in this situation:
- I have found that reputable landlords really 'should' be asking for some type of proof of income. While this may make it more difficult up front, I think it shows you are dealing with someone who is serious about their property.
- If a landlord does not ask to see a proof of income, it could mean that they also are not doing things exactly by the book, so while it could seem like an easier solution, I would take that as more of a red flag that could lead to problems later on.
- It will probably come down to working with prospective landlords to see what they would find acceptable as "proof of income." Some, like the landlord you mentioned, may be stricter and only accept a "busta paga" from an Italian company, while others may be more used to dealing with self-employed people and those coming from abroad. In that case, perhaps they would be satisfied to know about your work/business, and see a bank statement that shows your monthly earnings, or perhaps a "saldo e giacenza media," a bank document that shows the year-end balance and monthly average of your back account.
- While it may add an additional layer to the challenge of finding an apartment, I think that going through this last step will filter out any landlords and living situations that would lead the larger headaches later on. Hopefully by seeing how they are willing to negotiate with you will help you to find a landlord who both takes seriously their apartment and also is a reasonable, understanding person, which I think in the long run can only be a benefit, and will hopefully lead to a comfortable living situation and an agreeable relationship with the landlord. Lots of luck to you in your search!!
@@thelemonabroad Wow thank you for the thorough explanation! This all completely makes sense. Saving your reply & channel so we can refer to it later. Sub earned :)
Grazie mille!
Of course! Thank you so much! I'm glad you found it useful and I'm happy to share my experiences so that they can be helpful to others! :)
I've been searching for good content that covers topics in full. This is the first one that answered a lot of questions I've had about apartment hunting.
I have heard that the north and south of Italy are distinctly different. Would these tips and red flags apply to both the north and south? And are there any differences you've experienced or heard of?
Thank you so much for watching! I’m glad the video was able to cover some of your questions. I think that different cities may have their own particular characteristics, but in general the points in this video can be a good starting point wherever you go (:
Thanks!!! I've looked at sites, etc. but who knows when you hit the ground?? I'm a bit afraid that I will be discriminated against because I'm over 70...but hopefully my court case for citizenship will be on the docket soon!
Thank you for watching! I think the quality most landlords are looking for is the best guarantee that they will get paid. It shouldn’t technically happen, but sometimes landlords do have preferences about who they are looking for in their building. My advice to everyone is that, if you do come across any weird vibes, for whatever reason, I would take it as a sign that it wouldn’t be the place for you any way and that there’s a better fit out there! Best of luck!