Moving to Milan: the first steps
Most newcomers lose their first month to paperwork, not to the search. Italy asks for documents in a fixed order, and a property search that starts before the codice fiscale and the bank account are in place often stalls at the signing stage. This page sets out that order, so you can prepare before you look at a single flat.
Step 1: the codice fiscale
The codice fiscale is the sixteen-character tax code that identifies you in every Italian record: the Land Registry, the notary, the bank and the utility companies all use it. It is issued by the Agenzia delle Entrate. The procedure depends on your situation, whether you already live in Italy or are applying from abroad, so ask the Agency's office, or the Italian consulate nearest to you, before you travel. Keep the card with your passport: you will be asked for both at the same appointments.
Step 2: a bank account and proof of address
An Italian bank account is the simplest way to pay a deposit, a rent and the utility bills. Banks ask for the codice fiscale and an identity document, and they will also ask for proof of where you live. Each bank has its own list of accepted documents, so ask before you go in, and ask whether the account can be opened before you have a permanent address.
Registering your residence (residenza) with the Comune di Milano is a separate procedure from the codice fiscale. It matters for some contracts and for some services, so do not assume that one replaces the other.
Step 3: a budget that counts the whole cost
The price on a listing is not what you pay. On a purchase you also pay the notary for the deed, the taxes that the buyer owes on the transfer, the agency commission and the cost of the mortgage, if you take one. On a rental you pay the deposit, the first rent, the registration of the lease and the utilities. We do not write those rates on this page, because they depend on your case and they change. Ask for a written calculation before you sign anything.
A monthly budget should also include the condominium fees, which are not part of the rent in most flats. They cover the common costs of the building, such as the lift, the cleaning of the stairs and the boiler, and the building's administrator publishes the annual figures.
Step 4: choose the area with the price ranges
Values in Milan change from one zone to the next, and the same neighbourhood can contain zones far apart in price. In Porta Romana, the Agency's range for purchase runs from 4,000 to 6,500 € per square metre, depending on the zone. In Città Studi it runs from 3,800 to 5,600, and in Duomo from 6,700 to 10,900. These are published ranges for ordinary homes in normal condition, from the second half of 2025. They tell you where the market sits, not what a particular flat is worth, and that is the question for a valuation on the flat itself.
When you compare two areas, compare the zones, not only the names. A neighbourhood with a low average can have a zone at the top of the range, and the listing you like may sit in that zone. The English overview has the full table by neighbourhood, with the source of each figure.
Words you need before you read a listing
Listings use short Italian words that carry a legal or practical meaning. Vendita means the property is for sale; affitto means it is for rent. Piano is the floor, and a listing that says ascensore has a lift. Riscaldamento autonomo means each flat has its own heating system, which changes the running costs. Classe energetica is the class on the energy certificate, from A4, the most efficient, to G. Check the certificate itself rather than trusting the class printed in the listing.
Where to start
If you want to buy, read buying property in Italy before you make an offer: the offer itself binds you more than most people expect. If you want to rent, read renting in Milan before you sign, because the type of lease sets the length of the contract and the conditions for ending it.
The listings we publish are in Italian, at the homes we are offering now. When you find one that interests you, write through the contact form on the home page, and say when you arrive in Milan, so the agency can plan the viewings around your move.
Sources
- Italian Revenue Agency, Real Estate Market Observatory (OMI): quotazioni immobiliari per zona, residential homes in normal condition, second half of 2025. Licence CC BY 4.0. agenziaentrate.gov.it.
- Codice fiscale: Agenzia delle Entrate, the issuing body. agenziaentrate.gov.it.
- The ranges in the text are the Agency's; the central value of a neighbourhood and the forecast are KW Properties' own calculations on that data.