[LucySandford]

Hello everyone,
I have the opportunity to take a sabbatical and I hope to spend a year in Florence / the surrounding area. I haven't had the best luck dealing with agents when I was searching for a place in Oltrarno / San Frediano, they are a little bit ( ahem) rude and don't seem to want my business, is it because I am foreign? I thought that surely they'd want the business especially as there are so many ex pats in the city.

I want to spend a maximum of 1000 a month, after the disheartening experience of dealing with city agents, I now don't necessarily want to be in the city I am happy to go towards Impruneta/ san Casciano / Scandicci in a village setting ( nothing remote).

Does anybody have an insight into renting in this part of Italy? what will the agents need? I have money in the bank to pay rent in advance for a year but don't necessarily want to do this in case there is a problem with the property. I don't want to hand over a lot of money and then something go wrong and it's not sorted.

I have come across the major ex pat agents who cater for long term rental, but quite honestly they are asking high prices for very mediocre properties, whereas on the italian websites the rents are more realistic for me.
Are there any other ex pats who rent in this part of the world? how did you approach it? Maybe I have just had bad luck from people who don't call back or make up excuses not to rent to me for some mysterious reason. Many thanks in advance x

 

[accbgb]

Give these people a try Apartments Florence, vacation short and long term home rentals Florence, Tuscany, Italy

You can even chat with them (in English!) on Skype or with WhatsApp (click the Contact link).

 

[Amblepup]

Hi, I don't live in your region but I rent, I found it much easier than private renting in the uk. Did not need to demonstrate my earnings, just one months deposit and a lower amount to the agents. I had to set up a monthly rent into my landlords account, found paying on line via my uk account quite expensive to pay into an Italian account, so now each month I buy euros from a currency exchange company for under 7 euros each time, and that covers them transferring into my landlords account. You will of course need a passport, and not sure, but a codice fiscale. My region varies in prices and would expect Florence to be a premium price, but maybe somewhere out of the city you might find a reasonable rent. Finally, make sure your contract is in English and Italian. They may avoid the translation saying you would need to pay tax. Anyway, that is how I found the rental business, and don't forget to barter!

 

[RachelGiada]

Hi Lucy

I am heading to Italy in September and I have been using Affitto Case Appartamenti Immobili Uffici Ville | Solo Affitti to check areas of interest. You can search by town or use the map connect the dots and it will search the whole area for you.

Good luck!

Rachel