
Many pet-owning tenants have a tough time finding a suitable rental home in Italy, as often landlords do not embrace the idea of a pet living in their property. But can the lease of a residential property in Italy include a ban on keeping pets?
Technically and in legal terms, a landlord or property owner cannot stop a tenant from having a pet in the property in Italy. In the last paragraph of Article 1138 of the Italian Civil Code, there is a clause stating that "the rules of the regulation may not prohibit the keeping of pets". However, landlords can request that pets are not be kept on the property in the rental contract, and if the tenant signs it, it will be legally binding from that moment.
There are countless other regulations that in recent years have introduced greater protection for animals in Italy and within the European Union. Therefore, although animals cannot legally be banned from a rental property, the owners have a great responsibility under their belts and this comes with rules and regulations. Tenants have a duty to keep the property in good condition and leave it as it was found, and in any case, the animal must not disturb the neighbours or public peace. Many complaints in shared living spaces and housing developments relate to barking dogs, for example, where legal precedents state that the owner of the animal is responsible for any disturbances their pet may bring to others, when barking for instance.