What Happens After You Buy a House in Italy? A Checklist for Foreign Owners

Buying a house in Italy does not end when you sign the final deed at the notary’s office.

Once you receive the keys, there are still several practical matters to take care of: utilities, local taxes, condominium administration, insurance and the general management of the property.

For foreign buyers, especially those who do not live permanently in Italy, some of these steps can be unfamiliar.

The good news is that most of them are relatively straightforward once you know what needs to be done.

Here is our checklist of what happens after you buy a property in Italy.

Keep a Copy of Your Purchase Documents

After completion, make sure you keep all the documents relating to the purchase in a safe place.

The most important is the atto di compravendita, the final deed signed before the Italian notary.

The notary is responsible for registering the transaction and carrying out the required formalities with the Italian property registers. The Italian Revenue Agency also provides property owners with services through which cadastral and mortgage information relating to their properties can be consulted.

It is also useful to keep copies of:

• the preliminary contract, if there was one;
• invoices from the estate agent and other professionals;
• cadastral plans;
• technical reports;
• Energy Performance Certificate (APE);
• condominium documents;
• renovation and maintenance documentation.

These documents may be useful later if you sell, renovate, rent or inherit the property.

Transfer the Utilities

One of the first practical things to organise is electricity, gas and water.

If the utilities are already active, you will normally arrange a voltura, which means changing the name of the account holder without interrupting the service.

If the previous owner has already terminated the contracts, you may instead need to request a subentro, effectively reactivating the supply.

You will normally need information such as:

• your Italian tax code (codice fiscale);
• identification;
• property address;
• meter numbers or supply codes;
• meter readings;
• details of the previous account holder, when available.

Take photographs of all meter readings when you receive the keys. It is a very simple precaution that can prevent disputes over previous consumption.

Internet contracts are generally handled separately.

Deal With TARI, the Waste Tax

Property ownership also comes with local taxes and municipal obligations.

One of the most common is TARI, the municipal waste tax.

The precise procedure depends on the municipality, so do not assume that buying the property automatically registers everything correctly with the local authority.

For example, in Trieste, declarations concerning new occupation, termination or changes affecting TARI generally have to be submitted by the deadline established by the municipal regulations. The municipality currently states that declarations must be submitted by 30 June of the following year.

The rules and deadlines can differ elsewhere in Italy, so checking the website of the municipality where the property is located should be one of your first administrative tasks.

Understand Your Annual Property Tax

Foreign owners are often surprised that property taxation in Italy depends heavily on how the property is used and where it is located.

Across most of Italy, the relevant municipal property tax is IMU.

An ordinary main residence is generally exempt from IMU, except for certain high-value cadastral categories such as A/1, A/8 and A/9. Other residential properties, including many second homes, can be subject to the tax, with rates determined locally.

Buying in Trieste? There is an important difference

Trieste is in the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Since 1 January 2023, Friuli Venezia Giulia has replaced IMU with its own property tax called ILIA — Imposta Locale Immobiliare Autonoma.

There are also specific regional rules concerning a person’s first residential property other than their main home.

For example, from the 2025 tax year, individuals who meet the requirements can identify their first “second home” for the purposes of a reduced ILIA rate. For properties in Trieste, the municipality provides a specific online communication procedure.

This is a good example of why foreign property owners should avoid relying exclusively on general guides to Italian taxation: regional and municipal rules can make a significant difference.

Introduce Yourself to the Condominium Administrator

If you have purchased an apartment in a condominium, find out who the amministratore di condominio is.

The administrator manages the building’s shared expenses and administration.

Make sure they have your:

• name;
• contact details;
• billing address;
• email address;
• ownership details.

You should also understand how condominium payments are made and when the next instalments are due.

Keep copies of the most recent condominium budgets and meeting minutes.

They contain useful information about planned maintenance, extraordinary works and decisions affecting the building.

If you live outside Italy, make sure the administrator has an email address that you check regularly.

A €100 routine condominium payment is considerably easier to deal with than discovering months later that the building approved major façade or roof works.

Consider Property Insurance

Home insurance is not automatically mandatory simply because you own a property in Italy, although specific insurance requirements may apply in certain situations — particularly when financing is involved.

Regardless of whether it is compulsory, insurance is worth considering.

Depending on the policy, coverage may include:

• fire;
• water damage;
• weather-related damage;
• liability towards neighbours or third parties;
• theft;
• damage to contents.

For owners who live abroad for much of the year, insurance can be particularly useful because problems may remain unnoticed for longer.

You should also check what is already covered by the condominium’s building insurance before purchasing overlapping coverage.

Decide How the Property Will Be Managed

If you live permanently in your new Italian home, this part is relatively simple.

If you live abroad, the practical question becomes:

who looks after the property when you are not there?

Even an empty apartment needs occasional attention.

Someone may need to:

• check the property;
• collect correspondence;
• coordinate contractors;
• deal with the condominium administrator;
• monitor utilities;
• organise maintenance;
• respond to emergencies;
• prepare the property before your arrival.

This is particularly relevant for second-home owners.

A small water leak is inconvenient when you live ten minutes away. It can become significantly more complicated when you are 1,500 kilometres away.

For this reason, many foreign owners choose to appoint a local contact or a professional property management service.

If you own a property in Trieste, we can take care of this for you through our Trieste Property Management service. We can act as your local point of reference, helping with maintenance, utilities, documents, deadlines and the practical day-to-day management of the property while you are abroad.

The goal is simple: you remain in control of your property without having to manage every small issue from another country.

If You Leave the Property Empty for Long Periods

If your property in Italy is a second home, there may be weeks or even months when nobody is staying there.

Leaving a property empty for long periods is not necessarily a problem, but it does require some basic planning.

Before leaving, it is a good idea to check:

• that water taps and plumbing are in good condition;
• whether the main water supply should be turned off;
• heating settings, especially during colder months;
• windows, shutters and locks;
• electrical appliances and devices that can be safely disconnected;
• ventilation and humidity levels;
• mail and correspondence;
• insurance conditions relating to vacant properties.

It is also useful to have someone periodically check the property while you are away.

A small leak, humidity problem or electrical fault can remain unnoticed for weeks and become much more expensive than the original issue.

If you live abroad, keeping a trusted local contact with access to the property can make a significant difference in case of emergencies.

For owners in Trieste, our Property Management service can also take care of regular checks, maintenance coordination and practical issues while the property is empty, so you do not need to manage everything remotely.

Keep an Emergency Contact in Italy

If you live abroad or only spend part of the year in Italy, having a trusted local emergency contact is highly recommended.

Problems do not always happen when you are there. A water leak, electrical fault, broken lock, heating issue or problem involving the condominium may require someone to access the property quickly and coordinate a solution on your behalf.

Your local contact should ideally:

• have a spare set of keys;
• know where the main water, gas and electricity controls are;
• be able to inspect the property if something goes wrong;
• contact trusted technicians or contractors when needed;
• communicate with the condominium administrator;
• receive urgent correspondence or notices;
• keep you informed if something requires your approval or attention.

For foreign owners, this becomes particularly important because even a relatively minor issue can be difficult to manage remotely. Organising access, finding a technician, communicating in Italian and following up on repairs can quickly become time-consuming if you are in another country.

This can be a friend, relative, neighbour or professional property manager. What matters is that the person is reliable, easy to reach and able to act quickly when necessary.

Understand What Happens If You Want to Sell Later

Even if you have just bought the property, it is worth thinking about what you may need if you decide to sell it in the future.

A future sale is usually much easier when the documentation relating to the property has been kept complete and up to date from the beginning.

Make sure you retain:

• the purchase deed;
• cadastral plans and property records;
• the Energy Performance Certificate (APE);
• invoices for renovation or maintenance works;
• technical reports and permits;
• condominium documents and statements;
• certificates relating to installations, when available;
• documentation for any structural or layout changes.

This becomes particularly important if you renovate the property after buying it. Changes to the internal layout, installations or other elements may require technical documentation or updates to the cadastral records.

If the paperwork is incomplete, discrepancies may only emerge when you are already trying to sell, potentially creating delays at exactly the wrong moment.

It is also useful to keep a clear record of major investments made in the property. Renovations, new windows, heating systems, air conditioning, bathrooms or other improvements can all become relevant when positioning the property on the market and explaining its condition to prospective buyers.

If you live abroad, maintaining this documentation can be more difficult simply because several professionals, contractors and administrators may be involved over the years.

For this reason, treating your property documentation as a permanent archive rather than something you organise only when you want to sell can save considerable time later.

And when the moment to sell eventually comes, having a complete and organised property file allows the estate agent, technician and notary to identify potential issues much earlier and prepare the transaction more efficiently.

Planning Your Next Real Estate Move?

If you are planning a real estate operation in Trieste, Grado, Venice or other areas of Italy, feel free to contact us.

Whether you are looking to buy, sell, invest or manage a property, we can support you throughout the process and help you navigate the local market, documentation and practical steps involved.

We work with both Italian and international clients, with particular experience assisting foreign buyers and property owners.

If you are considering your next move, get in touch with us and tell us what you are planning. We will help you understand the options and identify the right next steps.