How to buy a co-ownership share in Italy

What you would actually own

You own a real share of the home — an eighth, a quarter — not a right to use it. You can sell it, pass it on to your heirs, and it rises and falls in value with the house. The legal set-up is arranged by our partner for each home and walked through with you before you buy.

Every Italian home we list sells in eighths. Depending on the home, you can buy more than one share, up to a half.

What you need before you start

A codice fiscale, in most cases. Italy's tax code for individuals is the equivalent of the Spanish NIE in function, though it is generally faster to obtain. The company normally arranges it as part of the purchase; confirm at reservation rather than assuming.

Identity and source of funds, for KYC. Standard, and the step that stalls purchases when it is left late.

An adviser at home, if you are Italian-resident. Italian residents are taxed on worldwide income and assets, and the picture for an Italian buying a foreign share — in Mallorca, say, or on the Côte d'Azur — is more complex than for one buying at home, with IVIE and IVAFE potentially in play. The Italian-resident position is here.

The steps, in order

Four to eight weeks from reservation to completion for a cash buyer; financing adds four to eight weeks of underwriting. The timeline in detail is here.

What it costs

Share prices in Italy start at €119,000, across the 30 homes we list today, and every listing shows its own price. The share price includes the furnishing and set-up of the home.

The lakes are the most affordable way into Italian co-ownership; Tuscany sits in a higher price bracket.

Running costs. Management, insurance, upkeep, the reserve and IMU are shared between the owners; we send you the figures for any home you're interested in.

Closing costs. These depend on the home's legal set-up, which our partner explains before you buy. Ask for the figure for the specific home before you reserve.

Tax, honestly

This section is general information, not personal tax advice. How tax works depends on the country and the home's legal set-up, which our partner explains before you buy. Your position depends on your residency, your other assets and the treaty between your country and Italy — we recommend independent advice before signing.

When you buy: purchase taxes depend on the home's legal set-up; ask for them before you reserve.

While you own it — IMU. The Imposta Municipale Unica is a running cost of the home shared between the owners; your eighth of it is allocated through the annual fee. Whether you file anything yourself depends on the home's legal set-up, which our partner explains before you buy. Two things to know: rates are set by the comune, so they vary meaningfully from one town to the next, and second homes are typically charged at higher rates than primary residences. On a high-value property — a Como villa, premium Tuscany, a Sardinian coastal house — IMU is a real line in the annual budget rather than a rounding error. It is one of the figures to ask for specifically. IMU on a fractional share is covered here.

If you are Italian-resident: how tax works depends on the home's legal set-up, which our partner explains before you buy, so take advice from an Italian accountant. The complexity arrives if you buy a share abroad rather than at home — IVIE and IVAFE may apply to foreign real estate and foreign financial assets, with treaty handling on top. Italian inheritance tax applies to the share on death.

When you sell: capital gains tax on any gain, in Italy and potentially at home, with treaty relief depending on residency. More here.

When you die: the share passes to your heirs like any other asset. What happens is covered here, and gifting during your lifetime here.

Comparing countries? Purchase, annual, wealth and capital-gains taxes for Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Austria and Germany are side by side in our second-home tax by country guide.

How long you may actually stay

A share confers no residency rights. Non-EU passport holders are subject to the Schengen rule — 90 days in any rolling 180-day period — exactly as any visitor is. At around 44 nights a year it does not bind; stacking shares or long stays, it does. The rule for owners is here.

Letting

Some Italian homes can be let during the weeks you do not use; others cannot be let at all. We check the position home by home rather than inferring it from a policy. As everywhere, the binding rule is the local one, so the question to ask is about the specific comune.

Financing

Most Italian share purchases are cash. Financing may be available depending on where you live; ask us and we will get you the current position for the home you like.

Where to buy

The lakes. Most of the Italian homes we list, on Garda, Como and Maggiore, and the most affordable entry into Italian co-ownership anywhere. If you want a lake, this is a genuine choice rather than a single option.

Sardinia and Liguria. Coastal homes, from two-bedroom apartments with a pool to a three-bedroom villa with an infinity pool at Apricale.

Tuscany. A small number of country houses, in a higher price bracket and with no letting.

Every Italian home we list is here.

Common questions

Who pays IMU on an Italian fractional share?

The owners share it: your eighth of it comes through the annual fee. Whether you file anything yourself depends on the home's legal set-up, which our partner explains before you buy. Rates are set by the comune and second homes are charged at higher rates than primary residences, so on a high-value property it is a meaningful annual line — worth asking for specifically rather than assuming it is small.

Do I pay imposta di registro on the share?

It depends on the home's legal set-up, which our partner explains before you buy. Ask for the purchase costs of the specific home before you reserve, and take independent tax advice.

How much does a co-ownership share in Italy cost?

From €119,000, across the 30 Italian homes we list today; every listing shows its own price. Running costs are shared between the owners; we send you the figures for any home you're interested in.

What exactly do I own?

A real share of the home — an eighth, a quarter — not a right to use it. You can sell it, pass it on to your heirs, and it rises and falls in value with the house. The legal set-up is arranged by our partner for each home and walked through with you before you buy.

Do I need a codice fiscale?

In most cases yes — it is Italy's tax code for individuals and serves much the same function as the Spanish NIE, though it is generally quicker to obtain. The company normally arranges it as part of the purchase. Confirm at reservation rather than assuming.

Can I rent out my Italian co-ownership home?

It depends on the home. Some can be let during unused periods; others cannot be let at all. We check it home by home. As everywhere, the local comune's rules are the binding ones.

Where in Italy can I actually buy?

The lakes above all — most of the homes are on Como, Garda or Maggiore. Then Sardinia and Liguria for the coast, including the villa at Apricale, and Tuscany for the countryside, at a higher price. There is nothing we list in Rome, Venice or Puglia today.

How long does the purchase take?

Four to eight weeks from reservation to completion for a cash buyer, including the codice fiscale. Financing adds four to eight weeks of underwriting on top.