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Getting ready

Know how much rent you can manage, and have the money to move in

Before you fall for a home, you know how much rent you can manage and you've put aside the money to move in: deposit, first month, agency and registration all come at once, on the day you sign.

How long: An evening for the budget; a few months, if you need to save up the money to move in

How it works

1. The budget

In “Our budget”: Geenuga Casa works out the rent at which your monthly budget adds up and how much you need to move in, without touching your safety net.

2. The money to move in

With an agency, count on more than 5 months' rent: 3 for the deposit at most, the first month, one for the agency fee with VAT, half the registration tax.

3. The documents

ID and tax code (codice fiscale), latest payslips or CU (annual income statement), employment contract. Hand them over after you've seen the home, as copies.

4. Guarantees

If the landlord asks for a guarantor or a fideiussione (bank or insurance guarantee), get the amount, length and cost first.

What it costs

  • Deposit: 3 months' rent at most by law; you get it back at the end, with statutory interest
  • First month's rent: usually paid in advance, when you sign
  • Agency: not set by law: often one month's rent plus VAT, ask beforehand
  • Registration tax: 2% of a year's rent (at least €67), split with the landlord; nothing with the flat-rate tax (cedolare secca)

Who does what

  • The two of you: income, living costs, savings and a safety net you won't touch
  • The landlord or the agency: ask for documents and sometimes guarantees (a guarantor or a fideiussione)

Watch out for

  • A deposit of more than 3 months' rent isn't allowed by law (Law 392/1978, art. 11).
  • Anyone who asks for photos of your documents in the very first message, before showing you the home, may use them for identity theft.
  • The rent isn't everything: service charges, heating and bills can add a few hundred euros a month.

General guidance, up to date as of 20 October 2026: for important decisions, talk to a CAF (tax assistance centre), a tenants' union or a lawyer.