Last checked 27 October 2026.
Before you send money for a room, send questions. A genuine landlord or tenant can answer all ten of these in a few lines. Answers that are vague, late or angry are information too.
Each question comes in English and in Italian, so you can copy the Italian line into a message. Ask in writing and keep the answers.
How to read the answers. One vague answer proves nothing: people are busy and write in a hurry. Several evasive answers together, or any request for money before you have seen the place and read the contract, are a reason to walk away.
1. The address
Ask: What is the address, or at least the street and the area?
Italiano: Qual è l’indirizzo, o almeno la via e la zona?
Many genuine listings keep the street number until a viewing, so a missing number is not a red flag. But you should be able to get the street and the area, and check that they fit the rest of the post.
2. Seeing the room
Ask: Can I see the room in person, or on a live video call, before I pay anything?
Italiano: Posso vedere la stanza di persona, o in videochiamata dal vivo, prima di pagare qualsiasi cosa?
A live video call, where you can ask to see the windows, the bathroom and the front door, is a fair way to do it from abroad. Stop if the answer is “photos only”, a pre-recorded video, or “someone will show you but you cannot speak to the owner”, and above all if any payment is needed first.
3. Who is who
Ask: Who is the landlord, and who will sign the contract with me?
Italiano: Chi è il proprietario, e chi firmerà il contratto con me?
You need to know whether you are talking to the owner, an agency or a current tenant. If it is a takeover (subentro), also ask: Il proprietario ha dato il suo consenso per iscritto? (“Has the landlord agreed in writing?”)
4. The contract
Ask: Will there be a written contract that I can read before paying? Will it be registered?
Italiano: Ci sarà un contratto scritto che posso leggere prima di pagare? Sarà registrato?
Registration is done with the tax authority (Agenzia delle Entrate). Stop if the contract is “to be seen later” or there is only an informal agreement. For questions about what a clause means or whether it is allowed, ask the Sportello Affitti (see the end of this guide).
5. The real monthly cost
Ask: What is the total per month, and what exactly is included?
Italiano: Quanto costa in totale al mese e che cosa comprende esattamente (utenze, condominio, internet)?
Compare listings by the total monthly cost: the rent plus the expenses that are extra. Ask whether utilities are a fixed amount or based on use. An all-inclusive price should list what “all-inclusive” covers.
6. The deposit
Ask: How much is the deposit, when is it paid and to whom?
Italiano: Quanto è il deposito, quando si paga e a chi?
A deposit asked at the signing of the contract is normal. Stop if a deposit, a “reservation” or a fee is asked before you have seen the place or before you have the contract. Two words you will meet: cauzione (a security deposit, kept as a guarantee) and caparra (money paid to hold a room). Ask which one it is, and take any doubt about the amount to the Sportello Affitti.
7. The dates
Ask: From when is the room available, and for how long?
Italiano: Da quando è disponibile e per quanto tempo?
This also tests the post: a date that cannot fit the day it was written (“available from September” in late October) can mean recycled text. A typo is possible, so ask.
8. Your address
Ask: Can I register my address at the flat?
Italiano: Posso prendere la residenza in questo appartamento?
Many students want to register their address (residenza) at their flat. A landlord who says you cannot is a signal worth weighing. For housing paperwork, the University’s International Housing Office helps enrolled international students with administrative procedures (see our guide on where to find a room in Padova).
9. The people and the bills
Ask: Who else lives there, and how are the bills split?
Italiano: Chi altro vive nell’appartamento e come si dividono le spese?
Honest posts usually say who lives there and how things work. You can also ask to talk, even briefly, to a current housemate.
10. How to pay
Ask: Which bank account do I pay into, and in whose name?
Italiano: Su quale conto devo pagare e a chi è intestato?
Pay only by traceable bank transfer, to an account whose holder is the person who signs the contract. Stop at gift cards, cryptocurrency, money-transfer services, cash sent by post or courier, a prepaid card to recharge, or a foreign account with no explanation for a room presented as Italian. Never use a payment link sent in a message: open the platform’s site yourself.
A message you can copy
Hello, I am interested in the room. Before going further I would like to ask: the address or at least the area, from when it is available, who signs the contract and whether it will be written and registered, what the monthly total includes, and how much the deposit is and when it is paid. I would also like to see the room in person or on a live video call before any payment. Thank you.
Buongiorno, mi interessa la stanza. Prima di procedere vorrei sapere l’indirizzo o almeno la zona, da quando è disponibile, chi firmerà il contratto e se sarà scritto e registrato, che cosa comprende il totale mensile e a quanto ammonta il deposito e quando si paga. Vorrei anche vedere la stanza di persona o in videochiamata dal vivo prima di qualsiasi pagamento. Grazie.
Where to ask for help
The Sportello Affitti gives advice and legal support on fraud, discrimination and unfair contracts: via Stratico 4a, Padova, Tuesday and Wednesday from 16:00 to 20:00, sportelloaffitti.padova@gmail.com. The University of Padova lists it on its housing page for international students.
How this guide was checked
- The questions follow the order of events and the checks of this site’s published method (how the check works, version 0.2, a draft): what is asked, when, and in what way.
- The Italian lines are plain, polite phrases written for this site. If you are unsure of one, ask a friend who speaks Italian before sending.
- The Sportello Affitti details were read on the University of Padova’s page on 27 October 2026. Hours and contacts can change: check before you go.
- This is not legal advice, and it is not a guarantee: a landlord who answers all ten questions well can still turn out to be dishonest. This site is an unofficial, student-run project, not connected to the University of Padova.
Want a person to read the listing and your messages with these questions in mind? Send a listing: a serious red flag is always free.