In 30 seconds
- According to the article, rent to buy lets you move into the home right away with a rent split into a rent portion and a down-payment portion, to be deducted from the price if you buy.
- The transcribed public deed protects you if the owner sells to others or has debts.
- If you do not buy, the rent payments usually stay with the owner, unless otherwise agreed: read the contract carefully before signing.
Updated on October 15, 2026.
You have found the home of your dreams. It is perfect, it is in the right place and it is exactly what you were looking for. There is a problem, though: the bank, at this moment, is not ready to grant you the mortgage loan, or you need a little time to set aside the cash needed for the down payment.
What can you do? Must you give up? Absolutely not. There is a smart solution provided by law, called Rent to Buy (or, in plain terms, a “lease with right to buy”).
In this article we will explain exactly what it is, how it works and why it is essential to be assisted by a Law Firm in order to enter into it in complete safety.
What is Rent to Buy? Explained in simple words
Imagine Rent to Buy as a prolonged “test drive” of your future home, but with an enormous advantage: the money you pay every month is not entirely lost.
In technical terms it is called a “contract of enjoyment in view of subsequent transfer” and it was introduced by the “Unblock Italy” decree (Sblocca Italia).
It works like this:
- You move into the home right away: The owner hands you the keys immediately.
- You pay a monthly rent: This monthly payment is divided into two parts.
- You decide at the end: Within a set time (for example 3, 5 or 10 years), you have the right to buy the home, deducting from the price part of the money you have already paid.
How does the monthly payment work? The “Piggy Bank”
This is the most important part to understand. When you pay ordinary rent, that money is the fee for using the home and it “disappears”. In Rent to Buy, instead, the parties decide to divide the monthly sum into two portions:
- The “rent” portion: This part pays for the use of the home (like ordinary rent) and stays with the owner.
- The “down payment” portion: This part is as if it went into your own virtual piggy bank. If you decide to buy the home, all this money will be deducted from the final price!
Simple example: You pay 1,000 euros a month. You decide that 500 euros are for rent and 500 euros are for the down payment. After 3 years, you will have put aside in the “piggy bank” a full 18,000 euros (500 euros x 36 months) that will be discounted from the price of the home.
Why is it safe? The role of Transcription
Many people are afraid: “What if the owner sells the home to someone else while I live in it? What if the owner goes bankrupt?”
The law thought of exactly this, making Rent to Buy very safe, almost like an immediate sale. This contract, in fact, is made by public deed (before the Notary) and is transcribed in the property registers.
Transcription serves to create a “shield” of protection around the home:
- No one else can buy it: Your reservation prevails over anyone else.
- Protection from creditors: If the owner has debts or goes bankrupt, your contract continues and the home is safe, provided it is your main residence.
What happens if something goes wrong?
Rent to Buy is flexible, but you need to know the rules of the game in case of unforeseen events.
1. If you decide not to buy the home after all
You have the right to change your mind and not purchase. In this case, however, the owner usually has the right to keep all the rent you have paid, including that which was in the “piggy bank”, as compensation (unless you wrote otherwise in the contract).
2. If the owner no longer wants to sell
If it is the owner who pulls out or does not respect the agreements, they must return to you the part of the rent paid as a down payment, plus statutory interest.
3. If you do not pay the rent
Beware: if you miss payment of a minimum number of rent instalments (decided in the contract, but by law not less than 1/20 of the total), the contract is terminated. The owner can ask you to leave the property using a fast procedure called “eviction validation”.
Why you need our Law Firm
Rent to Buy is an extraordinary opportunity but, as you have seen, it is not a simple form to fill in. The law leaves a lot of freedom to the parties, which means the contract must be tailor-made for you.
There are many technical aspects to manage:
- Calculating exactly the down-payment portion and the rent portion.
- Checking that there are no mortgages or attachments on the home before signing (especially for homes under construction).
- Establishing who pays maintenance costs (usually ordinary maintenance falls to whoever lives there, extraordinary maintenance to the owner).
- Ensuring correct transcription to protect you from bankruptcies.
Why be assisted by a lawyer
Do not risk your savings and your future with “do-it-yourself”. Our lawyers, together with a notary for the notarial aspects, can follow you from the initial negotiation to the transcription of the deed, ensuring that every comma is placed to safeguard your peace of mind.
Do you want to understand whether Rent to Buy is the right solution for you? Contact us today for a consultation. We will analyse your situation and prepare the perfect contract to get you into your new home in complete safety.
Related guides
Main page for this subject: Home, property and condominium: all the guides and how to contact the Firm →
The route that usually makes sense
The possible routes
- Rent to Buy with a transcribed public deed, if today you cannot get the mortgage loan.
- Direct purchase, if you already have the cash or the mortgage loan.
- Simple rental, without a right to buy.
Which one usually makes sense and why
It depends on the case. Rent to Buy makes sense if you want to move into the home right away and decide later, with part of the rent deducted from the price. Transcription protects you if the owner sells to others or has debts. You need to read carefully what happens if you do not buy: usually the owner can keep the rent, unless otherwise agreed.
What to do right away
- Check that there are no mortgages or attachments on the home.
- Establish in writing the rent portion and the down-payment portion.
- Clarify who pays ordinary and extraordinary maintenance.
- Have the deed transcribed.
Every situation must be assessed on the documents of the specific case: this indication is not a promise of any outcome.
How Avv. Fiorentino can assist you
- Before signing, check how the two portions of the rent are divided.
- Read what the contract provides if you give up the purchase or if you miss rent payments.
- Keep the land registry search and the property’s documents at hand.
The Firm offers consultations remotely as well, with documents sent online, and a written quote before the engagement. Offices in Naples, Rome and Bari by appointment.
Frequently asked questions
What is rent to buy?
According to the article, it is a contract of enjoyment in view of subsequent transfer, introduced by the “Unblock Italy” decree (Sblocca Italia): you move into the home right away, pay a rent divided into a rent portion and a down-payment portion and decide later whether to buy.
What happens to the rent payments if I then do not buy?
According to the article, the owner can usually keep all the rent paid, including the down-payment portion, unless otherwise agreed in the contract.
Is rent to buy safe if the owner sells to others or goes bankrupt?
According to the article, the contract is made by public deed and is transcribed in the property registers: transcription protects against sale to others and, under certain conditions, against the owner’s creditors.
What happens if I miss rent payments?
According to the article, if you do not pay a minimum number of rent instalments, set in the contract but by law not less than 1/20 of the total, the contract is terminated. Each case must be assessed on the documents.
Sources: art. 23 of Decree-Law 133/2014 (Sblocca Italia) and art. 2645-bis c.c. (Normattiva). Author: Avv. Renato Giuseppe Fiorentino, Naples Bar. Informational text, it does not replace an opinion on your case. Drafted with the help of artificial intelligence tools and reviewed by the Firm.
Read also
- Condominium expenses: how to defend yourself if the calculation is wrong?
- Parking easement: from today it is possible! Here is the news from the Court of Cassation
- How to Become the Owner of a Home Without Buying It: What Adverse Possession Is and How It Works
(Read also): Legal guides from Studio Legale Fiorentino · Buying a home in Campania: the legal checks before the preliminary contract · How to buy a home and sign contracts without risks: the easy guide for everyone
Translated from the Italian original; updated on October 18, 2026.
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