How to Successfully Get Your Deposit Back in Italy

For those of you who know me, then you know very well that it takes a lot to leave me speechless, but speechless I was when I discovered recently a case of a company in Italy with over €250,000 in unreturned deposits, due almost exclusively to a non-existent check-in strategy, leaving them way open to unscrupulous landlords.

Regardless of whether you are a corporate or individual taking over a property in Italy, in simple terms, if a thorough check-in is not done, it will be almost impossible at the end of the tenancy to prove if any dilapidations claimed for by the landlord are valid or not, as you essentially have no proof; therefore, you don’t have a legal leg to stand on.

Important Steps for a Successful Check-In

• Only work with licensed realtors in Italy; stay clear of so-called “middlemen” and people who are not licensed to work in Italy as realtors.
• The owner, tenant, and realtor (if applicable) need to sign an incredibly detailed check-in form, which should be in both English and Italian. English is not an official language in Italy, so you do not want the landlord to claim that he or she signed a document they did not understand.
• The initial state of the property should be documented with at least eighty photos that are taken in context, so that it is very clear what they are referring to — this is essential to guard against spurious dilapidations at the end of the tenancy. The tenant must be able to prove the condition of the property at the beginning of the tenancy. Otherwise, it becomes a he said/she said endless saga.
• The tenant needs to understand very carefully what their responsibilities are as a tenant, so that they know exactly how to treat the property during the tenancy and fully understand what is not deemed normal wear and tear in Italy.
• The tenant needs to make sure that they fully understand how to communicate any issues with the property to the landlord to avoid any complications at the checkout. Always communicate issues about the property with the landlord through registered mail with a return receipt or by PEC email (if possible). It is better not to communicate issues by phone, SMS messages, regular email, or WhatsApp, even though WhatsApp can be used as proof in the event of legal action.
• Document, document, and document some more is the key, in most cases, to a successful checkout from a property. The tenant should never withhold rent from the landlord, as this could put them in the wrong and lead to legal issues.

By doing a thorough check-in, the tenant can avoid many issues arising when they leave the property. A check-in, done correctly, can go a long way toward contributing to a quick return of the deposit, as well as the ability to refute any request for unjustified dilapidations.

These are general guidelines only, if you require any case specific assistance, please feel free to contact me www.damienofarrell.com

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram for Italian immigration news, real estate insights, and valuable relocation tips. Just click this link for the latest information from Italy.

Grab your copy of my eBook’ 10 Must-Knows For Moving To Italy’ today and open the doors to a new chapter of your life in the heart of this captivating country. To get your copy, please follow this link for the PDF version or this link for the Kindle version.

If you would like to receive high-quality information related to immigration, real estate, and many other aspects of relocating to Italy, please feel free to subscribe to my newsletter, ‘Ultimate Italy’. Just click here to sign up, and you will receive my cheat sheet, ‘Italian Immigration Overview for EU & Non-EU Citizens’, absolutely free!