Rome, 4 May 2024 – Every day from Marcon (Venice) to Cortina to teach. Alarm clock at 4. It’s the story of Prof Ivano Apisa49 years old, forced to face, due to high rents, a 5-hour drive to reach his students.
The odyssey of the professor
“I couldn’t afford to spend 1,200-1,500 euros a month on a salary of 1,650”, said the professor at Corriere del Veneto. After a month of traveling by car, Apisa found a room in Calalzo, 45 minutes from Cortina. “Of course, now I’m closing the month at zero – he continues –, but in November I lost money, between petrol and tolls”. Not to mention that on June 15th he will have to leave the accommodation “because it will be rented to tourists”. The future for the teacher is uncertain: “Without a solution I will have to ask to return to Marcon, as a substitute.”
Ilaria’s tent
But Ivano is not the only record-breaking commuter in Italy: Ilaria Lamera also has a history of struggle behind her and also ahead of her. A year ago she had picketed his tent in front of the Leonardo campus of the Polytechnic of Milan against high rents: now he will return to live with his parents, but since that first Canadian protest has started across Italy. “I won’t stay in Milan, at the moment I pay 600 euros a month for a room, the rent will expire in July. I’m on the home stretch for my degree, I’ll return to Alzano Lombardo and I’ll finish my studies as a commuter, saving the last months of ‘rent”. And the bitterness of a year ago remains: “The problem has not been solved, much more should have been done in a year.”
Capital cities for the rich
The average rent in Italy saw a 2.3% increase in the last month, according to Idealista. Growth is constant, with an increase of 13.1% compared to 2023, bringing the average value of national rentals to 13.5 euros per square meter. Milan remains the most expensive capital (23.3 euros per square meter). In second place is Florence with 20 euros per square meter, followed by Venice with 18.9 euros, Bologna (17.5 euros) and Rome (16.5 euros). On the contrary, the cheapest locations are in Caltanissetta (4.7 euros/m2), Agrigento and Cosenza (5.5 euros/m2).
It is not a country for singles
A piece of data developed by Immobiliare.it is very interesting: the comparison between the monthly amount that a person should allocate for rent (30% of their average income) and the average rent requested for a two-room apartment in large centres. TO Florence the average monthly price required to rent a two-room apartment is 1,066 euros, but the rental budget available to a single person on average does not exceed 480 euros. In fact, only 0.5% of two-room apartments on the market are accessible to those looking alone. Continued Naples (rent at 850 euros and rental income share at 415 euros), with an affordability of less than 1%. Milan it is the city with the highest rent (1,320 euros per month) with an average available budget of 650 euros for singles (0.8%). Venice has a ratio of 880 euros to 430 euros (0%).
It’s better for couples
The situation is rosier for couples, even if in several cities the sum of incomes is not sufficient to make the rent sustainable. This is the case in Florence where a couple’s budget (860 euros/month) is 200 euros less than what is required for two rented rooms. In Milan the shortfall is 150 euros (1,174 euros/month is the couple’s budget), while in Naples (750 euros/month budget) and Venice (780 euros/month) it is around 100 euros.
Provincial averages
As for prices, Lucca is confirmed as the most expensive province, with an average of 30.4 euros per square meter, followed by Belluno (29.7 euros/m2), Ravenna (24.2 euros/m2), Grosseto and Rimini (both 23 euros/m2). The provinces with the lowest values are Enna – the cheapest – with 4.8 euros per month, preceded by Caltanissetta (5.1 euros/m2) and Avellino (5.4 euros/m2). Val d’Aosta remains the most expensive region, followed by Lombardy and Tuscany. On the contrary, Molise confirms itself as the cheapest region, preceded by Basilicata and Umbria.
