How renting with us works
Town Homes Milano
Last Updated: November 2026
How renting with us works
Renting in a new country can feel complicated. Here is everything, step by step, so there are no surprises.
How to book
- Tell us about your stay. Your dates, the reason for your stay and who is coming. We send you a written offer with the monthly price, the dates and any fee.
- Sign the booking agreement. You sign it online and pay a booking deposit of half your security deposit. The apartment is now reserved for you.
- Get your Italian tax code (codice fiscale). Best before you travel (the Italian consulate can help), or at the latest in your first week in Milan.
- Sign your rental contract online. You pay the rest of the security deposit and your first month’s rent. The contract is checked and stamped by Confabitare, a landlord association, and registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate. You get a copy.
- Move in. You get the keys once all payments have arrived. We go through the apartment together and sign the inventory list with photos.
What we need from you
An ID document (passport or ID card). An Italian tax code (codice fiscale): if you don’t have one yet, we’ll tell you how to get it. A document showing the reason for your stay, such as your university enrolment, Erasmus acceptance letter or work contract. If you are a non-EU citizen, we may also ask for your residence permit or proof that you have applied for one.
A fair, regulated rent
In Milan, these rental contracts follow the canone concordato, a local agreement between landlord and tenant associations. It sets a minimum and a maximum rent for each apartment, based on its size, features and location. Every contract follows this agreement, is checked by Confabitare, a landlord association that signed it, and is registered with the Italian tax authority (Agenzia delle Entrate). So you get a real, legal contract with full tenant rights.
The contract
We offer two kinds of contracts, both signed online:
- Temporary lease (contratto transitorio): 1 to 18 months, for a documented temporary need such as work or study in Milan. It ends on the agreed date, with no automatic renewal.
- Student lease (contratto per studenti universitari): 6 months to 3 years, for students enrolled at a university in Milan, including Erasmus. It renews automatically at the first expiry, unless you tell us in writing that you want to leave, as stated in your contract.
Leaving early
Plans change, we understand. You can leave early by telling us in writing at least 3 months before. If you find someone to take over your apartment and we approve them, you may be able to leave sooner.
Your monthly costs
Your monthly payment is the rent plus a monthly advance for service charges (building costs, central heating and water). Fast Wi-Fi is included. Once a year we compare the advance with the building’s real accounts and settle the difference.
The apartment comes fully furnished and equipped, with a set of bed linen and towels on arrival.
Electricity
Electricity is not included in the rent, and you pay only what you use. The contract stays in our name, so you don’t need to set anything up. You pay the bill for your apartment exactly as the supplier charges it, with no mark-up. If you move in or out during the month, the fixed part of the bill is split by the days you lived there. By the 16th of each month we send you a copy of the bill. You pay by bank transfer within 5 days.
Booking deposit
When you sign the booking agreement, you pay half of your security deposit as a booking deposit. If you cancel after signing, the booking deposit is not refunded. If we cancel, we pay you back twice the amount. When you sign the rental contract, your booking deposit becomes part of your security deposit.
Security deposit
2 months’ rent for stays under 12 months, 3 months’ rent for 12 months or more. It covers any damage or unpaid costs and is not used to pay your rent. Your first month’s rent is paid in advance, separately from the deposit. Your deposit earns the legal interest required by Italian law. We refund it, with the interest, within 30 days after the final check at the end of your stay, deducting only documented damage or unpaid costs.
Other costs
Registration costs: every contract is registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate, and the registration costs are shared equally between you and us.
Agency fee: may apply for some apartments. If it does, the amount is always written in your offer before you commit.
Moving in and out
On arrival we go through the apartment together and sign an inventory list with photos, so we both know exactly how everything was. At the end of your stay we do the same final check, and then we refund your deposit.
Living in the building
Please respect the house rules and your neighbours, especially quiet hours between 22:00 and 8:00. No smoking inside the apartments, and no pets.
Questions?
Write to us at hello@townhomesmilano.com
This page is general information, not legal advice. Your contract is what counts