We have put together a list of recommendations for those looking for an apartment to rent. This post refers to Turin, but the same recommendations apply to all of Italy.
Warning!
Do not transfer money in advance for any rental contract before you see the apartment in person, meet the owner or the legal property manager, and receive the keys and the signed contract in your hand.
How to prepare?
Before and during your apartment search, make sure to complete any basic paperwork that landlords may require.
Visa permit
In Italian: “permesso di soggiorno“, is a document that needs to be requested at least a few months before you actually travel to Italy to look for an apartment. Before you obtain it, do not waste your time on a standard apartment search.
Fiscal code
In Italian “codice fiscale“, abbriviated as “c.f.“, is an official certificate that must be presented in its original printed and signed version, or as the Italian health insurance card (Tessera sanitaria), which contains the c.f. on its back side. It is your new Italian identification code, which will be requested in almost every office in Italy and is mandatory for verifying both your identity and the landlord’s identity when signing a legal rental contract.
University admission letter
If you are moving for studies, you should take advantage of the priority that landlords give to students, as they receive financial incentives from the state and the municipality.
Proof of financial means
A “proof” can be a bank statement covering at least the last 12 months, a job contract, employer paychecks, a rental contract of an apartment that you own, or any other document that shows you can afford to pay the rent long term and are not a hobo. If your proof is solid, it can place you at the top of the list of applicants.
European bank account
Your bank account details are written into the rental contract. Some landlords require a bank account within the EU or, more rarely, specifically in Italy. This is also the best way to pay the deposit fee (“deposito cauzionale” or “caparra di affitto”) and the rent (“canone di locazione” or “affitto mensile”) using a free EU transfer (SEPA), in order to avoid international transfer fees and to maintain future proof payment records for both you and your landlord. Paying in cash makes this more difficult and is therefore not recommended. If you still do not have one, we wrote a dedicated article explaining how to open an EU bank account within a few minutes.
How to avoid scams?
In general, we advise treating any rental offer with alert caution, as if it were a scam. Any warning signs should raise your awareness, but always communicate with the utmost respect, as some ads may still turn out to be legitimate. Below we list a few basic methods to avoid the most common scams.
Identify fake profiles
The most common scam involves someone from abroad using a fake profile on social media platforms such as Facebook. They usually operate multiple scams in parallel around the world to efficiently exploit their fake profile and keep it active for as long as possible.
By scrolling through their personal profile, you can often determine when it was created and discover that it is less than a year old. The characteristics of such fake accounts typically include one of the following:
- Good old Christian lady
- newly created account
- living abroad in a wealthy western country;
- studied in a university named after the city of birth;
- friends with about 1-100 other fake profiles or poor future victims fooled by this profile;
- posting random quotes of a devout Christian, racing cars, motorbikes, food, holidays, or sunsets without any clear explanation.
- Sexy young woman –
- newly created account
- living abroad in a rich western country;
- studied in a university named after the city of birth
- friends with about 100-800 other fake profiles or poor future victims fooled by this profile;
- posting random photos of racing cars, motorbikes, or vacations with minimal clothing and no clear explanation.
These kinds of profiles are intended either to create false trust in the first case or to distract men in the second case.
Never transfer money upfront
Any request to pay an introductory fee is, by definition, a scam. Do not pay a single cent before you have:
- visited the apartment;
- got hand a signed contract;
- made a photo yourself of the original landlord’s ID which was presented to you when meeting with them in person;
- received the keys and personally opened the apartment door.
Ask for the address
You should never mention the location of the apartment stated in the ad when contacting suspicious profiles. If asked which ad you are referring to, respond vaguely, such as “the one near the train station and university” or “the apartment in the center“, without mentioning the neighborhood, city, or country. If they claim to rent multiple apartments and do not identify as a real estate agency, this is likely a scam.
Visit the apartment
There will always be many logical sounding explanations for why it is supposedly impossible to visit the apartment before signing the rental contract. In reality, this usually means the apartment does not exist. Any real apartment must be visitable in person, and dozens of other apartment seekers have likely already seen it on the same day it was advertised.
If you ask to speak with the landlord by phone, WhatsApp, or Skype and no such option exists, you might be communicating with the 24/7 fraud center.
However, if you manage to schedule a visit, go and see the apartment in person. This is the only reliable way to avoid imaginary apartments.
Report scams
Report scams wherever you encounter them. Whether on an ads board or social media, report fraudulent listings to the platform administrators to help clean these of scammers.
How to find an apartment?
1. Search from Italy
a.) If you have not found an apartment through friends or local online groups, book temporary accommodation in Turin for a search period of about 2 to 4 weeks. This is typically how long it takes to find an apartment in a large city. Being on site allows you to contact listings and visit apartments before they are taken, often within just a few days.
b.) Temporary accommodation can be with friends, an Airbnb apartment, or a hotel. In any case, book at least one week, otherwise you will waste valuable time searching for your next night bed and moving constantly.
c.) For the search period, travel light weight. Later, bring what you really need and haven’t found yet in the city (hint: you’ll find everything here, most even in second hand shops).
2. Apply in fluent Italian
Italians are racist, but at least they are upfront about it. As new immigrants we have to reduce the anxiety of foreigners, and the simplest way to do so is by communicating in fluent Italian. Keep in mind that most Italians don’t speak English at all.
a.) It is important to automatically translate (i.e. Google Translate) every written message of correspondence with the apartment owners as well as with real estate agents and the authorities whenever needed. It will take you just a few more seconds but will increase x100 times the probability that you’ll receive a friendly reply, if any.
b.) When you contact landlords to schedule meetings and whenever you visit an apartment in person, make sure to come with a friendly (!) fluent Italian-speaking mediator to translate the words, hand gestures and subtext.
c.) Use the help of locals whenever possible. Friends or nice new acquaintances who have lived in Italy for several years can communicate in Italian on your behalf. Local social groups are a great place to ask for such help, either from kind volunteers or from those who are willing to assist for a fee.
In case you are looking for help finding your next home in Turin, we would be happy to assist you in person.
3. Flex your requirements
Facebook is a convenient tool, but it is unlikely you will find your dream apartment there. The main issue is not personal failure, but rather the extremely limited supply of quality apartments compared to the number of seekers. As a result, compromises are necessary for your first apartment in Italy.
Start with your preferred areas, but expand your search to nearby neighborhoods that still suit you. By bike or metro, cities feel much smaller than when using the unreliable public transport system in Italy.
b.) Monthly budget is often less flexible, but remember that everything is temporary. The longer you live in a city, the more opportunities arise to find yourself a better apartment.
c.) Define your threshold requirements carefully, and rank apartment features by what is important for you. An “amazing apartment” according to friends may not be the best home for you.
4. Maintain an orderly follow-up list
a.) Create a digital table with dedicated columns for each rental ad, including key details and application status, such as “Visited and waiting for contract draft”, “Scheduled for Wednesday”, “No response since October”, or “No longer relevant”.
b.) Mark irrelevant ads and move them to the end of the list or to a separate sheet rather than deleting them. Duplicate ads are common, and reviewing old entries can save time and embarrassment, as we tend to forget the details.
5. Be hopeful but turn to the desperate first
In large Italian cities, there is a wide pool of apartments in a more or less reasonable condition. However, real estate agents often have enough apartment seekers lined-up, and show little respect for applicants’ time, arriving an hour late or skipping appointments entirely.
a.) When focusing on private landlords and excluding agencies, prices are suddenly more reasonable and responses friendlier.
b.) By browsing the last pages of housing websites and contacting ads that are a few weeks old, you may discover a whole new world of tangible offers, such as the apartment which we eventually rented in central Turin.
6. Diversify your search but start with the most prominent means
a.) Be upfront with local acquaintances about your apartment search. If a friend or any person which you have met in real life offers you an apartment, go visit it. Even if it is not ideal, it provides a useful reference point for comparison and potential fallback if all else fails.
b.) Facebook Marketplace and housing groups are highly competitive and discouraging, and a magnet for scams. However, expat groups are wonderful for social integration and connecting with those who have already lived in the city for a while. Occasionally, posting a housing request in a cozy local group can help, but “THOU SHALL NOT SPAM”.
c.) Adjust search engine parameters carefully and only relax your requirements after reviewing all ads within your strict criteria.
d.) The spacial search can be accurately refined by choosing from the neighborhoods checklist and on some sites you can even draw your exact search area on the map. As with all other criteria, start with a narrow area of the “ideal” zones, then gradually expand the search area to other acceptable neighborhoods.
e.) Below are example searches configured during our own intense two-week apartment hunt in Turin. You can simply adjust the city and parameters that suit your needs.
- https://www.immobiliare.it/affitto-case/torino/?criterio=dataModifica&ordine=desc&pag=3&prezzoMassimo=700&superficieMinima=40&localiMinimo=2&idMZona[]=173&idMZona[]=185&idMZona[]=174&idMZona[]=172&idQuartiere[]=657&idQuartiere[]=687&idQuartiere[]=680
- https://www.casa.it/srp/?tr=affitti&numRoomsMin=2&mqMin=30&priceMin=500&priceMax=700&photo=true&exclude_private_negotiation=true&sortType=date_desc&propertyTypeGroup=case&q=295220eb,2bd81479,ab3277eb,d2519684
- https://torino.bakeca.it/annunci/offro-casa/quartiere/6,142,98,4,100/inserzionistacase/privato/affittoimmobile/0-700/
- https://www.subito.it/annunci-piemonte/affitto/appartamenti/torino/torino/?z=001272-1&pe=600
- https://www.idealista.it/en/affitto-case/torino/centro-crocetta/con-prezzo_600/lista-3.htm?ordine=pubblicazione-desc
- https://www.soloaffitti.it/immobili/piemonte/torino/torino?district_ids=63505%3B81575%3B63508%3B82893%3B63522%3B63559%3B65307&district_label=Centro%2C+Centro+Storico%2C+Crocetta%2C+Quadrilatero+Romano%2C+San+Salvario%2C+Vanchiglia%2C+Vanchiglietta&property_type=house&properties_order=cheap&city=272&city_name=Torino&city_registry_code=L219&selected_page=1
How to visit apartments?
If you really want to get the apartment, there are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Visit neighborhoods you are considering before you even start browsing listings, during daytime, nighttime, weekdays, and weekends. This helps you understand whether an area becomes noisy or unsafe in certain times. Often, a nearby side street offers a quieter and safer environment.
- Whenever possible, schedule visits during daylight hours, but it is worthwhile to pass in front of the building also at night to observe the surroundings when the creeps crawl out.
- Dress as you would for a job interview. Italian dress standards are formal and not casual at all. If you have any doubt, it is better to overdress.
- Always bring with you all the prepared documents mentioned above.
- Bring with you a local to communicate in fluent Italian on your behalf, so you fully understand the rental contract terms and can sign on the spot if needed.
- All Italian meetings starts and ends with extremely long informal conversations. Actively participate in the chitchat, smile, and engage throughout the meeting. This social interaction is part of the trust building process and could lead not only to securing the apartment but often to other valuable things, such as new friendships, job opportunities, or useful local advice.
Be ready to sign the rental contract on the spot, as it might be the case when you get lucky. For this follow our next guide on How to sign a rental contract in Italy.
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