Searching
The right homes go in a few days
Good rentals only stay online for a few days: clear criteria, alerts switched on and your assistant sifting through the portals every day, weeding out duplicates and scams.
How long: Usually from a few weeks to 2–3 months; much less in university cities in September
How it works
1. Criteria
Maximum rent (service charges included, if you can), areas, square metres, furnished or not. Everything else is nice to have.
2. Alerts and automatic searches
On the portals and in Geenuga Casa: new homes come to you, even while you sleep.
3. Move fast
Documents ready and time free for viewings: often whoever gets there first and wins the landlord over gets the home.
What it costs
- Searching: free; you only pay the agency once the contract is signed
Who does what
- Agencies: charge tenants a fee too: both parties owe it (art. 1755 of the Civil Code)
- Private landlords: no agency fee, but more checks for you to do
- your assistant: searches the rentals section of the portals, reads every listing and only brings the right ones into Geenuga Casa
Watch out for
- Rent far below the area's, a landlord “abroad”, contact only via WhatsApp or a request for money before the viewing: these are scams.
- “Airbnb (or Booking) will show you the home and hold the money”: that's the fake-landlord scheme.
- On Subito and in groups, very low rents are often rooms, beds in shared rooms or bait: read carefully.
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.