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Is Your Rent Increase Legal? (Italy)

Landlords in Italy often request increases that violate tax regime rules. Use this tool to verify validity against Law 431/1998.

Check your contract for “Opzione Cedolare”.

Verdict: LIKELY ILLEGAL

Warning: The increase of 5.0% exceeds the current ISTAT inflation rate of 1.8%. Standard contracts usually cap increases at 100% or 75% of the ISTAT index.

Why is this happening?

Landlords facing inflation often try to pass costs to tenants. However, Italian law restricts this based on the tax benefits they receive.

  • Cedolare Secca: The landlord pays a flat 10% or 21% tax. In exchange, they cannot raise rent.
  • Regime Ordinario: The landlord pays standard income tax (up to 43%). They can raise rent, but usually only by the FOI index published by ISTAT.

Source: Gazzetta Ufficiale, Law 431/1998, and Legislative Decree 23/2011.