How much does it cost to register a rental contract in Italy?
Registering a rental contract can cost nothing if you opt for the cedolare secca flat tax, which cancels both the registration tax and the stamp duty. Under the ordinary regime you instead pay 2% of the annual rent (a EUR 67 minimum) plus a EUR 16 stamp for every four sides, usually split between landlord and tenant.
Verifiable answer
Registering a rental contract can cost nothing if you opt for the cedolare secca flat tax, which cancels both the registration tax and the stamp duty. Under the ordinary regime you instead pay 2% of the annual rent (a EUR 67 minimum) plus a EUR 16 stamp for every four sides, usually split between landlord and tenant.
- How much does it cost to register a rental contract in Italy?
- €100 / contract
- €0 – €300
- Italy
- 23 July 2026
- Confidence: High
- Registration tax on the rent, ordinary regime only; Stamp duty on the copies of the contract, ordinary regime only; Free online registration through the Agency's RLI form
- The fee of a tax centre, accountant or agency if you do not register yourself; The cedolare secca substitute tax itself, which is a tax on income, not a registration cost; The deposit and first month's rent, which are not registration costs
- The choice between the cedolare secca flat tax and the ordinary regime; The annual rent, on which the 2% is calculated; The number of pages and copies of the contract, which multiplies the stamp duty; Whether you register yourself or through a paid intermediary
- 2 sources
Short answer
The cost of registration depends almost entirely on one tax choice: with the cedolare secca flat tax it is free, without it you pay a percentage of the rent every year.
Registering a tenancy is one of those costs where the figure is decided by you — through your choice of tax regime — far more than by any fee schedule. Italian law requires every contract lasting more than thirty days in the year to be registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate, but what it costs depends on the option chosen: with the cedolare secca, the substitute tax on rental income, neither the registration tax nor the stamp duty is paid, as the Agency's official information sheet confirms. Under the ordinary regime you instead pay 2 per cent of the annual rent every year, with a EUR 67 minimum, plus stamp duty on the copies of the contract. This guide keeps the two paths apart, because confusing them is the quickest way to get the figure wrong.
What is included
- Registration tax on the rent, ordinary regime only
- Stamp duty on the copies of the contract, ordinary regime only
- Free online registration through the Agency's RLI form
What is not included
- The fee of a tax centre, accountant or agency if you do not register yourself
- The cedolare secca substitute tax itself, which is a tax on income, not a registration cost
- The deposit and first month's rent, which are not registration costs
How the price breaks down
| Item | Type | Frequency | Minimum | Typical | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registration tax (ordinary regime only)2% of the annual rent, with a minimum of EUR 67, due each year if the flat tax is not chosen. It is normally split half and half between landlord and tenant. | Optional | per year | €67 | €67 | €200 |
| Stamp duty (ordinary regime only)A EUR 16 stamp for every four sides or hundred lines of each copy of the contract. This too is cancelled by the flat tax. | Optional | one-off | €16 | €16 | €100 |
| Intermediary feeAnyone who does not register themselves through the online RLI form pays a tax-assistance centre, an accountant or an agency to do it. This is the most variable item. | Optional | one-off | €0 | €0 | €200 |
What the price depends on
- The choice between the cedolare secca flat tax and the ordinary regime
- The annual rent, on which the 2% is calculated
- The number of pages and copies of the contract, which multiplies the stamp duty
- Whether you register yourself or through a paid intermediary
Hidden costs
- The 2% of the rent is due every year, not only at signing: forgetting it risks penalties
- Under the ordinary regime, stamp duty grows with the number of pages and copies of the contract
- Late registration brings penalties and interest that exceed the tax itself
How to spend less
- Consider the cedolare secca: if it suits your income, it cancels the registration cost entirely, tax and stamp included.
- Register yourself with the RLI form on the Agency's site: online registration carries no service charge.
- If you choose the ordinary regime, the annual registration tax is often cheaper paid in one lump sum for the whole term, with a discount over paying year by year.
- Register within thirty days of signing: the cost of late registration is made almost entirely of avoidable penalties.
Frequently asked questions
With the cedolare secca, is registration really free?
Yes, for the registration part. The Agenzia delle Entrate sheet states explicitly that with the cedolare secca you do not pay the registration tax or the stamp duty due for registering, terminating or extending the contract. Do not confuse the two, though: the cedolare secca is still a tax on rental income, which the landlord pays on the rent received. What is cancelled is the registration cost, not the taxation of the income.
Under the ordinary regime, who pays — landlord or tenant?
The registration tax under the ordinary regime is owed jointly by both, and by established practice it is split half and half between landlord and tenant, unless the contract states otherwise in writing. Stamp duty normally follows the same logic. One party may physically pay, but the law holds both responsible.
How much is the stamp duty on a tenancy?
Under the ordinary regime you need a EUR 16 stamp for every four written sides or hundred lines, on each copy of the contract to be registered. A short contract on two copies can therefore need EUR 32 of stamps, a longer one more. With the cedolare secca no stamp duty is due.
Can I register the contract myself without paying an agency?
Yes. The Agenzia delle Entrate provides the RLI form for online registration, usable at no service charge: you pay only any ordinary-regime taxes, or nothing under the cedolare secca. The fee of a tax centre, accountant or agency is entirely optional and concerns assistance only, not a legal requirement.
What happens if I register late?
Registration must be done within thirty days of signing. Beyond that, penalties and interest apply that, for an ordinary contract, often exceed the tax itself: this is where the real cost of registration explodes above the official one, and it is entirely avoidable by registering on time.
Sources and methodology
How we worked it out
The exemption from registration tax and stamp duty under the cedolare secca is taken verbatim from the Agenzia delle Entrate information sheet. The ordinary-regime amounts — 2 per cent of the rent with a EUR 67 minimum, and a EUR 16 stamp per four sides or hundred lines — are those set by the registration- and stamp-tax rules for tenancies, referenced by the same sheet for the ordinary regime. Any intermediary fee is not an administered amount: it is given as an observed market range rather than measured data.
Why this confidence level
High confidence on the structure: the cedolare-secca exemption and the shape of the ordinary regime come from the official Agenzia delle Entrate sheet. The overall price range stays wide because it depends on the rent, the number of copies and any intermediary fee, which is not an administered amount.
With the cedolare secca flat tax, the registration tax and the stamp duty otherwise due on the contract are not paid
Cedolare secca — scheda informativa (opens in a new tab)
Agenzia delle Entrate · Public authority · Verified on 23 July 2026
Official Agenzia delle Entrate information sheet accessed on 23 July 2026: confirms the exemption from registration tax and stamp duty for cedolare-secca contracts.
Authority5/5
Ordinary regime: registration tax on the rent and stamp duty on the copies of the contract
Registrazione di un nuovo contratto — regime ordinario (opens in a new tab)
Agenzia delle Entrate · Public authority · Verified on 23 July 2026
Official information sheet on the ordinary regime, referenced by the Agency itself for the registration and stamp figures when the flat tax is not chosen.
Authority5/5
Revision history
First published on 23 July 2026, with the cedolare-secca exemption verified on the official Agenzia delle Entrate sheet and the ordinary-regime amounts taken from the registration- and stamp-tax rules for tenancies.
- 23 July 2026
- 23 July 2026
- 23 January 2027