If you are interested in renting a house or apartment in Milan, there are several websites on which it is possible to choose among the properties, such as Airbnb, holidu.se, spotahome.com, rentingmilan.com and www.booking.com.
There are two main types of websites offering short-term rentals One is similar to real estate agencies and offers a full brokerage service. They manage the supply of the accommodation and arrange the check-in and check-out and make the payments. This means that the renter receives a "quality guarantee" for the service and the apartment.
Here are some examples of the websites of these companies, with several apartments for rent in Milan (the tenant pays a commission to the agency):
Halldis.com - apartments rented without intermediaries, for short to medium term stays.
Rentclass.com - corporate apartments for short and long term rental.
The second type is short-term rental websites on which the landlord can directly advertise his/her accommodation, with pictures and description of it. The website only advertises the accommodation. The landlord receives the booking and the customer's contact details when the tenant pays the fee to the website via a credit card. The tenant deals directly with the owner about the rental agreement, payment and check-in and check-out.
Below are some examples of websites that offer apartments directly from the owners (the tenant pays the booking fee to the website): ApartmentsApart.com, Only-Apartments.com, Wimdu.com and Airbnb.com.
Housing through real estate agencies
If you are already in the city and are thinking of renting a house or apartment, there are several real estate agencies to turn to. They usually ask for a long-term contract of 4 + 4 years if you are looking for an apartment. Therefore, these real estate agencies are not suitable for those who only want to rent for a short period of time.
Three examples of real estate agency websites are property-italy.immobiliare.it, Casa.it and Trovocasa.it.
Short-term apartments
It is also possible to rent apartments for short-term accommodation directly from Italian landlords. This means that the tenant does not have to pay the real estate agency's commission or the website's booking fee.
Affittasi means rental in Italian
If there is no logo of a rental agency, it is usually a private rental company and you can call the phone number indicated on the poster.
Many Italians cannot speak English very well. If you're not in Milan and prefer to look for an apartment through different websites, there are some apartments in Milan that are rented by the owners themselves: Subito.it, Kijiji.it, Vivastreet.it and Bakeca.it.
But be careful! If you cannot see the property, it is recommended that you do not make any advance payments, especially if you do not have any reviews from previous tenants. On these sites, you are renting an apartment directly from a private home owner, not from a professional rental site.
The apartment may be 'different' from the pictures and from the location of the property as indicated on the website. The landlord must always give you a rental agreement, which also clearly states what is included in the rent.
Where to stay in Milan?
If you want to rent an apartment in Milan, it is important to know which one is the right one and that it is in the location that best suits your needs. The main thing to consider is the location of the property, so that it is suitable for you whether you intend to use it as a student residence, for your work or as a vacation home.
From the center of Milan, the streets run in three main circles (created by ancient Roman walls).
Inside the ring "Marche, Abruzzi, Tibaldi, Murillo" is considered the best location, the most prestigious residential area and closer to the city center. There are many districts in Milan, one of the newest is Porta Nuova-Garibaldi, and the most international are Brera and Navigli.
Milan has four metro lines, a wide range of trams and buses, which means you can move around the city easily. So even if your home is not 'walking distance' from the place you need to reach every day, it's good to check if you can reach it by public transport.
You can use the website http://www.atm.it/sv/ to see how public transport is suitable for your accommodation. When taking public transport in Milan, remember that you have to buy the ticket before boarding (in kiosks or tobacco shops).
Another thing to consider is the size of the apartment, depending on the length of your stay in Milan. If you are staying 3 - 4 months, it may be good to have one bedroom, and a sofa bed in the living room for two people if you want to sleep separately.
Then you may not need a two-bedroom apartment. Of course, this also depends on your budget!
The total monthly price does not depend on the number of tenants, so if you manage to share the apartment with some friends, it will be cheaper.
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