I have bought a house in Italy. What aspects and obligations should be taken into account when renting a property in Italy for a short period? I am referring to taxes, income declaration and other administrative burdens.
This guide aims to explain all the administrative and tax obligations of a landlord resident abroad (i.e. not resident in Italy) in the case of short-term rental of his property in Italy in private form without an intermediary.
If you have decided that you want to rent out your house in Italy (i.e., short-term leases), there are certain obligations that must be taken into account in accordance with Italian laws as well as international tax law.
Investing in real estate in Italy with a view to future rental income is becoming increasingly common. Short-term tourist lets have risen sharply in Italy in recent years. Renting out your property in Italy is actually a good extra income, especially as tourism in Italy continues to grow exponentially. Moreover, it should be added that at the moment it is still possible to buy nice houses at a good price and the rental prices are more than satisfactory in relation to the investment costs.
NOTE. In the following, we do not take into account all the details concerning double taxation issues between Italy and landlord’s country as well as the taxation levied on income from Italy in landlord’s country.
INDEX
- When a lease can be considered “short-term”
- Advantages and disadvantages of choosing a “short-term lease”
- Form of the Italian rental contract
- Short-term lease not to be registered with Italian tax authorities
- Fiscal obligations (taxes and income declaration in Italy)
- Registration of the tenant’s data in the Italian police website “Alloggiati Web”
- Notification of the activity to the Italian municipality
- Other information regarding additional services to tenants
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1) When a rental contract can be considered “short term” in Italy
What does short-term lease mean?
According to the Italian Tax Law (art. 4 of Decree Law no. 50/2017), a letting can be considered a “short-term letting” if the duration of the rental contract does not exceed 30 days (30 days refers to one person for the whole year). Short-term rental contracts are for residential (and non-commercial) use only and must be concluded by natural persons.
The short-term rental contract differs from the other Italian types of rental. For indicative purposes, we list only three types:
- ordinary lease “a canone libero” which has a duration of 4 years plus another 4 years renewable;
- “transitional lease – ad uso transitorio” which has a maximum duration of 18 months;
- “renting to university students” the duration of the contract is a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 3 years.
| REQUIREMENTS FOR SHORT-TERM RENTAL CONTRACTS | |
| PROPERTY TYPOLOGY | all residential properties (classified in category from A/1 to A/11) except offices which are classified under category A/10 |
| RUNNING TIME LIMIT | max 30 days per year with reference to each person (30 days per person throughout the year) |
| USE | for residential (and non-commercial) use only |
| LANDLORD & TENANT | the contract must be concluded by natural persons, outside the exercise of business activities** |
* NOTE! According to the law n. 178/20, in case of renting out more than 4 properties, the exercise of the activity must be changed into a tourist activity in entrepreneurial form.
2) What are the advantages of taking out a short-term rental contract in Italy?
– The landlord does not commit for a long period of time as in a normal rental contract (4 years);
– the rental contract does not need to be registered with the Italian tax authorities;
– no registration tax or stamp duty is required;
– fixed tax of 21% of the rent.
You must
– register tenants’ details on the police website within 24 hours;
– notify the municipality of tenants’ details (only applies to certain municipalities).
3) Form of the Italian rental contract
For short-term rentals, no specific form of contract is required. However, the contract must contain certain information such as the identification of the tenant and the landlord, the property details, the purpose of the contract (i.e., state that it is a short-term lease), the obligations of the tenant and the landlord, the duration, the amount of the rent and other charges.
The rental contract must be signed upon the guest’s arrival. The tenant must also provide a copy of his/her passport or ID card. A copy of the document is necessary to allow the landlord to register the guest’s details in the police website (see below point 6).
4) Short-term rental contracts should not be registered with the Italian Tax Agency
Short-term rental contracts, i.e. a rental contract where the duration does not exceed 30 days, do not need to be registered with the Italian tax agency “Agenzia delle Entrate”. This means that the landlord does not have the burden of paying registration tax (imposta di registro) and stamp duty (Imposta di bollo).
Can I still choose to register short-term rental contracts with the tax authorities?
You can register the contract with the tax office. If at registration the application of a fixed tax rate of 21% is chosen, called “cedolare secca” (see below point 5), registration tax and stamp duty will not have to be paid.
NOTE: Registration is always compulsory if you choose to enter into an ordinary rental contract or another form of rental contract that provides for a term of more than 30 days.
5) Fiscal obligations of the landlord (taxes and income declaration in Italy)
The landlord is obliged to declare the rent and consequently pay tax on it. An income tax return showing the rental income received must be submitted to the Italian tax authorities even though the landlord is resident in abroad, i.e. not domiciled in Italy.
NOTE: Failure to submit or forgetting to submit the declaration in Italy can have serious consequences (high fines) which vary according to the period of delay. In this case, you should urgently contact an accountant or a lawyer in Italy in order to settle your tax position before an inspection for tax purposes takes place. In this way, the case can be settled through the reduction of penalties/fines.
Regarding taxes on rental income in an international context, they are primarily paid in the country where the property is located. The person receiving the income from abroad may still be taxed in their home country. It is therefore always necessary to assess the international double taxation conventions. The double taxation agreement between Italy and the landlord’s country may provide for the recognition of a deduction to the latter in order to avoid the payment of the same tax in both countries.
With regard to taxation in Italy, the landlord has the possibility to choose between two different paths:
- include the income in their Italian annual income tax return. Income tax in Italy starts from a rate of 23%. (NOTE! this choice is particularly suitable for resident in Italy);
- pay an alternative flat tax of 21%. This option is called “cedolare secca” and constitutes a fixed taxation. It shall be calculated on the full annual rental amount as specified in the contract (GROSS AMOUNT). This choice should be made directly when drawing up the Italian income tax return or when registering the contract with the tax office. It is recommended to turn to a local Italian accountant.
(NOTE! Flat taxation is a good solution for those who are not resident in Italy).
6) Registration of the tenant’s data on the Italian police website “Alloggiati Web”
In accordance with Italian law (Article 109 T.U.L.P.S.), the landlord is obliged to register (via the web) the tenants’ details on the police website “Alloggiati Web“. This obligation applies to both EU and non-EU guests.
Registration of guests’ data in the police portal will be completed:
– within 24 hours of the guest’s arrival in case the stay is longer than 24 hours;
– within 6 hours of the guest’s arrival in case the stay is shorter than 24 hours.
How do you register your accommodation and guests?
The landlord must first contact the police headquarters “QUESTURA” located in the province concerned to obtain the login details. You can also request login details by email.
Here you can search for the address of the police headquarters in your province:
https://alloggiatiweb.poliziadistato.it/PortaleAlloggiati/Contatti.aspx
After activating the service, the landlord can log in to the police web portal “Alloggiati Web” and register his tenants. For each registration you receive a receipt that must be kept for 5 years.
Here is the link to the Alloggiati Web site:
https://alloggiatiweb.poliziadistato.it/PortaleAlloggiati/Default.aspx
7) Notification of the activity to the municipality
The Italian municipality (or region) in which the property is located may require the landlord to notify its activities and the details of its guests even if they are not carried out in the form of a registered business activity (company).
Rules vary between municipalities or regions. It is recommended to contact the municipality (or check on the website of the regional administration) before starting the activity.
8) Other information regarding additional services to tenants
It should be noted that:
– the additional services allowed are only those linked to the rent, i.e., changing bed linen/towels and cleaning the property.
– if you offer additional services such as breakfast or food then you have to change the activity to a “different” business form like B&B, affittacamere, countryhouse, etc.
