Intergenerational homesharing in Italy: how coabitazione solidale works

Where does Italian homesharing come from?

Italy has no national homeshare law or federal programme. Pairings rely on local associations, often linked to a city council or a university, which screen candidates and follow up. The emphasis is on solidarity and companionship rather than on a fixed quota of chores.

Pressure on student housing explains the growing interest. An Open news report from May 2023 noted that close to 200,000 students live in Milan and that most pay at least €600 a month for a room, while many widowed residents occupy large flats.

Milan's Prendi in casa uno studente

The MeglioMilano association has run Take a Student Home since 2004, with the University of Milan among its founding members. The association collects requests, interviews candidates, organises introductions and supports the pair throughout their time together.

Demand far exceeds supply. In 2023 around forty Milan households hosted young people, offering about sixty places, while the association receives more than 600 requests a year. Roughly one applicant in ten can therefore expect a placement.

Who can be hosted?

Originally limited to university students, the scheme now also accepts doctoral candidates, researchers, recent graduates on internships and health workers such as nurses and social-care operators. Hosts include independent older people as well as young couples and volunteers.

What guests pay

There is no rent. Guests give their host a monthly contribution towards expenses, an amount the university page does not publish. In the 2023 Open report, two students living with an 83-year-old widow each paid about €280 a month.

Florence and Auser Abitare Solidale

In Florence, Auser Abitare Solidale has developed shared living based on mutual aid since 2007, working with the city's social services. Student-senior pairs are one strand among others, alongside housing support for people facing eviction or homelessness.

In January 2020 local outlet GoNews reported 341 arrangements involving 713 people, supported by twelve professionals and around thirty volunteers. Ten pairs at the time brought together out-of-town students and older residents, with no rent and a companionship commitment.

A housing pact and a thirty-day trial

An Auser presentation hosted by the national Department for Family Policies describes the method: meeting the team, two or three matching sessions, a written housing pact, a thirty-day trial and then a precarious loan-for-use agreement known as comodato precario.

Municipal funding

By a decision dated 14 December 2022, Florence entrusted Auser Abitare Solidale with its social housing and cohabitation work for 2023 to 2025, reimbursing expenses up to €20,000 a year, or €60,000 over three years.

The same presentation reports 382 arrangements launched, 84 % with a positive outcome and an average length of fourteen months. More than nine in ten involved just two people, which makes daily adjustments easier to manage.

Comparing Italian initiatives

The three cities below show three stages of development: an established association, a council-contracted service and a project still under study. Rome, Turin or Bologna readers should look for similar associations locally, as no national directory was found.

Genoa's Silver Co-housing plan

On 13 May 2026 a motion in Genoa's city council asked for a feasibility study into a pilot intergenerational cohabitation project with the University of Genoa and ALISEO, the regional agency for the right to study. It cites Milan and Barcelona as models.

Incentives under consideration

The motion suggests studying reductions in TARI, the local waste tax, or grants for small home adaptations for participants over 65. It also calls for a guarantee protocol with social workers or mediators to handle matching and periodic monitoring.

Loan for use or tenancy?

Under article 1803 of the Italian Civil Code, a comodato is essentially free of charge. A regular payment going beyond reimbursing real costs could lead to the arrangement being treated as a tenancy, so it is worth asking which contract model the association uses.

Steps to a successful pairing

Italian associations follow a similar sequence that prioritises meeting and testing before commitment. These steps appear in the Milan and Florence documents reviewed.

1. Contact the local association by phone or email.
2. Attend an individual screening interview.
3. Take part in two or three meetings with the prospective housemate.
4. Draft a pact covering schedules, tasks and contributions.
5. Complete a trial period, thirty days in Florence.
6. Sign the final agreement and accept follow-up visits.

What tends to go wrong?

Association reports suggest problems rarely concern the room itself. They usually arise from unclear expectations or from choosing a legal form too hastily, especially when hosts and guests agree terms informally without any third party present.

• Setting a high contribution that turns a free loan into a disguised tenancy.
• Skipping the trial and committing for a full year at once.
• Hosting without an intermediary, so with no mediator in a dispute.
• Counting on a Milan placement without a backup plan.
• Overlooking building rules on additional occupants.

Can international students apply in Milan?

Nothing in the university's description excludes them: the scheme targets young people enrolled at Milan institutions regardless of nationality. Good Italian is a major advantage at the screening interview and in daily life with an older host.

Is internet included?

In Milan, a partnership with the operator Fastweb provides free connectivity to programme pairs, according to the University of Milan. Elsewhere, internet should be covered in the written pact along with other shared costs.

Is there national financial support?

No dedicated national subsidy was identified for this guide. The funding observed is municipal, as in Florence, while incentives remain under study, as in Genoa. Local associations are therefore the first point of contact.

Does a homeshare agreement signed abroad apply in Italy?

No. An agreement drafted under British, French or any other national rules carries no special weight for a home located in Italy. Italian law governs the property, so the parties must choose between a comodato, a tenancy or an association's own model.