ITALY | Accommodation | Contract

Rental contract

Universities provide a model contract for students who live out-of-town. These contracts last a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 36 months and can be signed by a single student or by a group of students coming from out-of-town. “Free” contracts must last a minimum of 4 years. When the expiration date is extended for a second time, each party can decide to renew the contract according to new conditions or to renounce it, informing the other party in time. In case of renounce, the lodger must inform the owner at least 3 months before the expiring date.

When you rent a room or an apartment, it is quite difficult to obtain a regular contract. In order to avoid problems, it is better to ask the landlord to write down all the conditions: costs, facilities, deposit, etc. It is useful to have the owner's phone number in order to contact him in case of emergency.

In many big cities there are regulations for parking cars. This means it may be difficult to find parking if you do not have legal residence in the area in which you live.

Rental conditions

When you rent a flat or house, it is common to pay a deposit of perhaps one month's rent (it can be maximum of three month's rent), which will be returned to you when you leave except for the cost of any damage. The rent is usually paid at the beginning of each month. The lodger also has to pay the expenses for heating (hot water, and the shared running expenses, etc.). If the contract does not indicate those expenses separately, it means they are included in the rent.