Short-term rentals in Milan, what to know

A short-term rental is not a hotel and not a lease. It sits in between, has its own rules, and visitors from abroad often discover at the last minute that they need things they had not thought about. Here is how it actually works, without contract language.

Documents

Every adult guest needs a valid identity document. This is not a commercial request: in Italy the host is legally required to report guest details to the police within twenty-four hours of arrival, through a government portal.

That means documents are requested before arrival or at check-in, and it is not possible to host someone who has not been registered. If you are travelling with someone arriving later, they have to be reported too.

A passport or national ID card works. A driving licence does not: it is not a valid identity document for this purpose.

The CIN code

Since 2024 every short-term rental in Italy must carry a Codice Identificativo Nazionale, a code identifying that property in a public register. It has to be shown on listings and at the entrance of the apartment.

This is good news for guests: a listing without a CIN is not compliant, and its presence is the quickest way to tell whether you are dealing with someone legitimate. On our site the code sits at the bottom of every apartment page.

Check-in

Most short-term rentals in Milan now use self check-in: no reception, no schedule to meet. You receive entry instructions before you arrive and let yourself in whenever you like.

This changes travel more than it sounds: a delayed flight stops being a problem, and arriving at one in the morning no longer costs an embarrassed phone call.

Standard times are arrival from 15:00 and departure by 10:00. These are not arbitrary: between guests there is a full clean to carry out.

City tax

It is paid separately and is not included in the nightly price. It is a municipal tax, per person per night, which the host collects and passes to the City of Milan.

→ How the Milan city tax works

What is there and what is not

In an apartment, unlike a hotel:

• There is a full kitchen, a washing machine, real space, and normally linen and towels ready.
• There is no daily housekeeping. Cleaning happens before arrival and after departure; on longer stays a mid-stay clean can be arranged.
• There is no breakfast, but there is a supermarket downstairs and a moka pot in the kitchen.
• There is no concierge to hold luggage. If you arrive early or leave late, ask in advance: something can usually be arranged.

What to ask before booking

1. The floor, and whether there is a lift. Milan is full of buildings without one.
2. Whether there is air conditioning, if you are coming between June and September.
3. Which metro stop is nearest, and how many minutes on foot.
4. How check-in works and what happens if your flight is delayed.
5. The maximum number of guests, which is binding: it is what gets reported to the police and cannot be exceeded.

Booking direct

Platforms give you a shop window and a support line, but they charge the guest a fee. Booking on the manager's own site skips that fee and puts you in touch with the person who will answer if the boiler makes an odd noise.

In our case the calendar on this site is the same one used by Airbnb and Booking, synced in real time: what you see free is genuinely free.

→ See our apartments