There comes a time in life when you wonder "how to rent out a flat", whether it is a property that is part of a family inheritance, or if it was bought with the aim of renting it out. However, before renting out a house, it is essential to be familiar with the regulations and laws governing the world of renting in order to avoid incurring heavy penalties.
The owner can register a contract that has already been digitally signed with the Inland Revenue Service. idealista offers owners and estate agents a free service for the creation of rental contracts with online signature.
How to rent out a flat
Once the property is ready and equipped with all the amenities that can make it rentable for a good price, it's time to ask yourself 'how to rent out an apartment'? There are a few aspects to consider first:
- The price of renting does not correspond to your real income: you have to take into account the rental taxes that vary depending on whether you are renting for a short or long term. In short, renting does not mean that you earn 100% of the rent.
- How to rent a flat on your own: If you don't want to use a third party, you should also consider all the bureaucratic formalities that are required by law;
- Choose the type of rental contract that best suits your needs, fits with the location of the property and the market.
In addition, before renting a house, you should make sure that:
- The installations (plumbing and electrical) are up to standard. From this point of view, please note that the flat must also have the APE (energy performance certificate), which has been compulsory for rentals for some years now.
- Any electrical appliances supplied must be in working order and must not cause potential damage to the tenants.
- The flat must be free of mortgages, foreclosures and must not be reported in any Equitalia file.
In short, renting a flat only seems like child's play on the surface. Renting a flat requires a lot of organisation, especially when you are just starting out and are still trying to figure out how to rent a flat.
Home rental contract
How to rent a house? The rental contract may fall under one of the following headings:
- 4 + 4 free rental contract;
- 3+2 rental contract with an agreed fee, without or with a flat fee;
- transitional rental contract stipulated with students or workers on short term assignments;
- rental contract for guesthouse use.
It should be noted that each contract for renting a house must subsequently be registered only if the lease exceeds one month. According to the provisions of the 2016 Budget Law, in fact, the registration of the contract must be carried out by the owner of the rented property at the Revenue Office within 30 days of the conclusion of the contract.
In addition, the homeowner is required to send (by registered mail or by e-mail) the rental contract - within 60 days from the date of stipulation - both to the tenant and to the building manager.
How much does it cost to rent a flat?
Apart from the bureaucratic formalities, it should be borne in mind that renting out a flat also involves costs that the property has to bear and that are subtracted from the rent that is paid by the tenants. These costs can include:
- Stamp duty: this amount is around €16 per 100 lines of contract (i.e. 4 pages)
- Registration tax: equal to 2% of the annual rent of the rental contract. This tax is divided equally between the householder and the tenant.
- Possible commissions: you should bear in mind that renting a house may require the help of an intermediary or a real estate agency that looks for tenants (especially during the high season).
Furthermore, it is important to know what cedolare secca means: as indicated on the Agenzia delle Entrate website, this term refers to "an optional regime, which takes the form of the payment of a substitute tax for Irpef and additional taxes (for the part deriving from the income from the property). In addition, for contracts under the cedolare secca the registration tax and stamp duty, ordinarily due for registrations, terminations, and extensions of lease contracts, will not be required to be paid. The "cedolare secca" does not replace the registration tax for the transfer of the lease."
How much does a rented house cost?
The cost of renting a house varies according to the rental formula chosen (whether you rent for periods of more or less than 30 days) and the type of income this activity generates for the homeowner.
How much tax is paid on a rental?
Short-term rental contracts (i.e. those that do not exceed 30 days) are subject to the "cedolare secca" regime. In this case, the landlord pays the substitute tax at a rate of 21%, indicating the choice of flat rate tax in the property tax return.
As of 2011, anyone renting a property for residential use can benefit from the preferential regime of the "cedolare secca". Alternatively, on rentals under the ordinary taxation regime - rental agreements with a duration of four years renewable for another four automatically on expiry - IRPEF taxation is applied to 95% of the rent received for the rental.
What to ask for when renting out a flat
Before renting a flat, the tenant must sign a rental agreement, which may include the payment of a part of the amount in advance.
How to rent your home to tourists?
If you are wondering how to rent a tourist flat, the answer is simple: you can get in touch with a real estate agency or register your flat on one of the short-term or long-term rental sites that allow you to reach the customers for this type of rental demand. This type of rental generally lasts less than 30 days.
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