Short-term rentals in Italy: a guide for expats

Italy gives you plenty of ways to book a furnished place, but the right option depends on how long you’re staying, what paperwork you need, and how comfortable you are paying from abroad. A tourist apartment that works for 10 days can easily be the wrong fit for six weeks or longer.

Rules vary by platform and comune (municipality). Meanwhile, city taxes, check-in steps, and deposit terms can all change. As of September 2026, this guide explains platforms, legal checks, costs, and city-specific caveats, and how they overlap with the wider renting in Italy market.

Key takeaways

• In Italy, a locazione breve usually means a residential short let of no more than 30 days under the national short-stay framework.
• A CIN, the national property identification code, is a useful trust signal, but doesn’t prove a listing is fully compliant.
• Expats usually start with large booking platforms, an online rental portal, or a local agency, depending on whether they need speed, monthly flexibility, or more support.
• Your real budget may include cleaning, deposits, utilities, platform or agency fees, and tourist tax charged by the local comune.
• Short-term housing works best when you first arrive. Once your stay stretches toward one to three months, a temporary rental or standard lease may be cheaper and easier to live with.

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What counts as a short-term rental in Italy?

A common question from first-time expats is what exactly qualifies as a short-term rental in Italy. In national guidance, a locazione breve is a residential rental of no more than 30 days, often used for tourist or arrival-phase stays, and it can include basics such as linens, cleaning, Wi-Fi, and utilities.

In practice, expats will see three different housing types. A tourist rental is set up for short stays, a temporary furnished rental may cover a longer arrival phase with a fuller contract, and a standard lease is for more settled living. You may also see hosts mention cedolare secca, a flat-tax option for some residential rentals, which helps explain why owners may care about how the stay is documented. Remember that this is general practice only, and local practice can differ by host, platform, and comune.

• About two weeks: A tourist rental or short stay apartment is usually the simplest fit.
• Around six weeks: You may still find short stay apartments in Italy, but some hosts will shift to monthly pricing or a temporary contract.
• Around three months: A temporary rental in Italy often makes more sense than paying tourist-style rates the whole time.
• Standard lease: Better when you want residency paperwork, utility setup, and a more stable home base.

Where to find short-term rentals in Italy

Many newcomers begin with Airbnb or Booking.com for their first landing, then widen the search once they know which neighborhood feels right. If you want a broader starting list, Expatica’s online housing portals directory and short-term and serviced apartments directory can help you compare routes in one place.

Housing

Online Housing Portals Italy

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Compare the main booking routes

Start with the route that matches your stage. Large global platforms are useful for fast arrival stays, while monthly rentals in Italy often become easier to compare once you add local portals or agencies.

How to narrow listings before you contact a host

Before you message anyone, filter for fully furnished status, reliable Wi-Fi, air conditioning, laundry access, and clear notes on utilities and minimum stay. Check the map closely, not just the headline neighborhood, and ask whether the commute still works at night or on weekends.

Italian layout terms can also trip people up. A monolocale is a studio, while a bilocale is usually a two-room apartment, often a bedroom plus living room, though not necessarily the kind of large one-bedroom apartment some expats imagine.

Expatica Content Editor

Connor Glaze

Insider Tip

In many Italian city-center buildings, a third-floor apartment may have no elevator and much smaller bathrooms than expats expect, so always verify floor level, square meters, and whether “two rooms” really means a workable bilocale.

How to check if a listing is legal and trustworthy

A beautiful listing is not enough if the host can’t explain check-in, paperwork, or how your deposit is handled, and this is where arrival-day problems usually start.

What to verify before booking:

• The full host or agency name
• The check-in ID process and arrival window
• Whether the listing shows a CIN or another registration detail I can cross-check

The listing details that matter most

Italian real estate lawyer Michele Capecchi recommends insisting on a written agreement even for short stays, because vague chats are hard to rely on later if there is a dispute. Dates, utilities, deposit terms, and return conditions should all be spelled out before money changes hands.

On the listing itself, look for a full price breakdown, clear cancellation language, arrival instructions, and a visible CIN if the host shows one. You can search the BDSR portal yourself, but a CIN is only one useful signal. Formal ID collection at arrival is common, because hosts may need to report guest details through the police logging system.

Payment, deposit, and scam checks

1. Keep payment traceable. Card payments or bank transfers with a clear invoice are safer than cash or a vague personal request.
2. WhatsApp is not the problem, missing paperwork is. Some legitimate Italian hosts move the conversation there for convenience, but you still need written terms and a traceable payment record before sending money.
3. Check the deposit clause line by line. Make sure the amount, refund timing, and any cleaning, late arrival, or utility deductions are clear.
4. Take timestamped photos of every room, meter, and visible damage as soon as you arrive.
5. Pressure tactics are a warning sign, especially if someone wants a wire before they will answer basic questions.

What costs should you budget for?

The listed rate is only the starting point. Expatica’s cost of living in Italy guide helps with the wider budget. However, short leases need a separate housing check because booking costs, deposits, and arrival extras can change the real total quickly.

If you want to rent an apartment in Italy for a month, think in terms of rent + cleaning fee + deposit + utilities + tourist tax, not the headline price alone. Tourist tax can vary by city and season, and utilities may be included, capped, or billed separately, so make sure to ask for the all-in amount in writing before you confirm.

Central neighborhoods in Rome, Milan, and Florence usually cost more, but outer areas can add transport time and extra commuting costs. In Bologna and smaller towns, the headline rate may look better, but supply can be thinner and seasonal destinations may switch quickly from monthly rentals in Italy to peak tourist pricing.

Cost of Living

The Cost of Living in Italy

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How city and stay length change the rental experience

Rome and Milan usually move fastest, with heavier competition from professionals, students, and international arrivals. Florence has intense tourism pressure in central areas, while Bologna often feels smaller and more student-led, which can change availability around the academic calendar.

Smaller towns can be cheaper and calmer, but the trade-off is fewer English-language listings, and less choice in general. In seasonal destinations, a tourist rental in Italy may look flexible until summer demand or owner use narrows your dates. If you are still choosing a base, Expatica’s best cities to live in Italy guide adds the wider lifestyle picture.

Short stay or temporary lease?

• Short stay: Best if you still need viewings, visa appointments, or time to learn the city.
• Temporary lease: More logical once you know the area and expect to stay one to three months.
• When the nightly rate makes a one-month stay pricier than a true monthly rental, it is time to compare a lease instead.
• If you still need to set up utilities in Italy or open an Italian bank account for daily life, avoid locking yourself into the wrong place too early.
• Tourism-friendly apartments can be bad everyday homes if nightlife, luggage being taken up stairs, or thin walls become part of daily life.

Where to Live

Where to live in Italy: the best cities for expats

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Managing deposits and spending across currencies

Paying a deposit from abroad is where many newcomers lose money on exchange costs or timing. Compare the total cost of the transfer, not just the upfront fee, because the exchange rate and arrival time can matter as much as the fee itself.

Some expats choose to use Wise when moving to a new country. The Wise account is free to open, and the Wise card can be useful if you need to spend in multiple countries.