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PROPERTY

What are the rules for installing air conditioning in your Italian home?

Air conditioning doesn’t come as standard in Italian homes, so if you want it this summer, you may need to install it yourself. Here's what you need to know about the process.

Italian houses
Installing an AC unit in your Italian home can be tricky. Photo by Thomas Oldenburger on Unsplash

Though some parts of Italy may not have seen sizzling temperatures yet, the country is expected to experience bouts of extreme heat in July and August, and some of you may reasonably be looking to get your houses ready for the incoming caldo.

An air-conditioning system is generally the most effective way to keep your Italian house cool over the hot months, but, aside from being fairly expensive (the price of a mono-split unit including installation costs ranges from 400 to 1,300 euros on average), AC units are often subject to rules setting out where they can and cannot be installed.

Single-family houses

Things are usually far simpler if you own a single-family house (either detached, semi-detached or terraced) as many of the issues encountered by people living in flats just don’t apply in this case. 

There are no national laws regulating the installation of AC units in single-family houses, but some individual town councils may have rules in place banning the installation of AC systems in some types of property (for instance, houses of artistic or cultural relevance or located in historic city centres).

READ ALSO: Reader question: Are bidets legally required in Italian homes?

As a result of that, it’s advisable that owners of single-family houses always consult with the construction offices (uffici per l’edilizia) of their local town councils (comuni) before starting installation works.

Air conditioner in Italy

Installing an AC system in Italy is generally far easier for owners of single-family houses than it is for flat owners. Photo by Alessandro Zanatta on Unsplash

Flats 

If you’re the owner of a flat, installing an AC system may turn out to be a bit of a headache. 

In fact, not only will you have to ensure that no specific town council ban applies to your building, you will also have to make sure that you abide by your own building regulations over the installation of AC units. 

In some cases, building rules may prevent flat owners from having external AC engines on the building’s facade, but may allow for AC engines placed on the building’s side walls or back wall. 

In other cases, building rules may ask that flat owners paint their external AC engines the same colour as the building. 

All relevant rules over the installation of AC units are generally included in the regolamento condominiale (literally, ‘condominium regulation’), which building administrators are required to store a copy of. 

Flat owners should also be mindful of article 907 of Italy’s Civil Code, which specifies that any type of external construction, including AC engines, should be at least three metres away from the windows or terrace of the floor directly above them to avoid obstructing the view.

Tenants

If you’re renting your home, you’ll have to ask your landlord for permission to install an AC unit. 

If they accept, you’ll be responsible for purchase and installation costs, unless your landlord agrees to pay for them themselves. 

It bears noting that landlords in Italy are under no obligation to accept AC installation requests nor to financially contribute to installation. 

Air conditioner

In Italy, AC units can only be installed by authorised professionals, with home owners flouting the rules facing hefty fines. Photo by Carlos Lindner on Unsplash

Installation: avoid DIY

As of January 2019, the installation of an AC system in any setting (private homes, public offices, hospitality facilities etc.) must be carried out exclusively by authorised professionals holding a FGAS licence and registered with industry regulator CCIAA.

READ ALSO: Nuda proprietà: The Italian property-buying system that can lead to a bargain

Having your AC system installed by non-authorised workers or installing it yourself may result in a fine of up to 100,000 euro. 

Alternatives

If for any reason you’re not able to install an AC system in your home, there are two main alternatives you can consider. 

Free-standing AC units are not as effective as full AC systems but do provide some cooling. They also generally have wheels and can be moved around the house. Prices usually range from 200 to 400 euros. 

The other alternative is an electric fan – either a desk fan or a standing one. These are on sale in almost all electrical retailers and many large supermarkets (although they often sell out in the first days of a heatwave). Prices are generally very affordable in this case.

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PROPERTY

Why one Sicilian town has put the price of its €1 homes up to €3

The cheap homes hotspot of Sambuca di Sicilia has launched its latest property offer, selling off 12 abandoned properties - this time for the symbolic price of €3.

Why one Sicilian town has put the price of its €1 homes up to €3

Over the last decade, Italy’s famous one-euro home offers have been making headlines internationally – and they show no sign of stopping.

Perhaps no town in Italy has been quite as successful at selling them as Sambuca di Sicilia, a village in the eastern part of Sicily.

The town, with a population of around 5,000, first came into the spotlight five years ago for being among the first to offer abandoned houses for one euro.

READ MORE: Can you still buy Italy’s one-euro homes in 2024?

The mayor reported a “property stampede” at the time as his council was inundated with enquiries from around the world.

It repeated the process two years later in 2021, when the price started from two euros. The village is now on its third batch of sales and is upping the starting price again – this time to three euros.

According to newly-elected mayor Giuseppe Cacioppo, who introduced the first offer as deputy mayor in 2019, the price is going up by one euro every time because “we just want to make it clear that by numbering these batches, more sales will likely follow in coming years.”

The cheap home offers had been “a hit so far” among foreign buyers, and the town had timed the latest sale to coincide with the tourist season, he told CNN.

“Tourists and interested buyers currently travelling to Italy, and those planning a trip in spring and summer, can come take a look,” he said.

MAP: Where in Italy can you buy homes for one euro?

Cacioppo told The Local in 2022 that cheap property sales had boosted the local economy by €100 million in two years.

The 12 properties included in this year’s €3 offer are currently under the ownership of the town hall, having reportedly been abandoned following an earthquake in 1969.

Cacioppo first announced the latest round of sales in November, telling Sicilian regional press: “We continue to believe that the one-euro house project is the right way to create development.”

As with all of Italy’s famous cheap home offers, the true cost involved is slightly more than the symbolic price of €3.

The purchase process varies by town, but in Sambuca’s case this is just the starting bid in an auction process, with houses in previous years being sold for anything between one and 25,000 euros.

READ ALSO: Six things to know about Italy’s one-euro homes

Those taking part in the auction are required to pay a deposit of 5,000 euros and must commit to renovating the property within three years, at their own expense.

Anyone interested must submit their application by 1pm on August 5th in a sealed envelope containing a bank transfer receipt for the €5,000 deposit and a photocopy of an identification document, according to the town council’s instructions.

More information about the offer is available on the council’s website.

Please note The Local is unable to help you purchase a one- (or three-) euro home in Italy. Although please let us know if you decide to make an offer!

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