How many types of rental contract are there?
There are four commonly used types of rental contract:

• 4+4 Contract: valid for 4 years, with an automatic renewal for another 4. The rental fee is freely agreed between the two parties.
• 3+2 Contract: valid for 3 years, with an automatic renewal for another 2. The rental fee is regulated by local territorial agreements.
• Transitorio Contract: has a duration ranging from 1 to 18 months.
• Transitorio Contract for university students: a variant of the Transitorio contract, with a duration ranging from 6 to 36 months.

Are all of them valid for a permesso di soggiorno?
Yes, you can use any of these types of rental contract to obtain, renew, or convert your residence permit.

What do I have to pay attention to when looking for a rental contract?
If you’re a foreigner without much knowledge of how rental contracts work in Italy, the best option is to look for one with the help of a real estate agency.

But in that case I also have to pay the real estate agency.
Yes, but in this case you have a third party checking that everything is done correctly, while a landlord acting alone could take advantage of things you might not be aware of.

What kind of things?
A rental contract, to be officially valid, must be registered with the tax office, the Agenzia delle Entrate. A contract that isn’t registered has no legal value.

Why does a landlord have to do that?
Registering a contract with the Agenzia delle Entrate has a cost, and some landlords try to avoid it, because having an officially registered contract means they have to pay taxes on the rent you give them.

Is that the only reason?
No, the agency can also help you if a language barrier is causing problems when communicating with your landlord, and it can happen that you need documentation about the apartment for your permesso di soggiorno, for example the idoneità alloggiativa. The agency can help you check whether the landlord actually has these documents.

Is it also a good idea to rent an apartment through online agencies that give you no contact details for the landlord?
No, that’s not a good idea either, since it can cause you problems obtaining the same documents I mentioned above.

Can a longer contract give me a longer permesso di soggiorno?
No, the duration of your permesso is not connected to your rental contract, but having a very short rental contract can cause you problems when renewing your permesso.

Is registering with the Agenzia delle Entrate the only thing a landlord has to do to make the contract valid?
Yes, but if you’re also a non European citizen, the landlord also has to file the Dichiarazione di Ospitalità; if they don’t, they can receive a fine. Be careful, many real estate agencies are unaware of this requirement too.

My landlord doesn’t want to give me the registration of the contract with the Agenzia delle Entrate, is that normal?
No, that’s not normal, and it’s illegal.

My landlord says the dichiarazione di ospitalità isn’t needed if the contract is registered, is that true?
No, the dichiarazione di ospitalità must be filed in any case, as stated by Article 7 of Legislative Decree no. 286 of 25 July 1998.

Is it legal for the landlord to deny me the right to register my residenza at that apartment?
No, that’s also illegal.