Insuance

There is no obligation to insure your property unless you have a mortgage on it in which case the bank will usually take ut a policy that you pay for annually to cover the building. As for utilities, it depends on if your have a "condominio" in which case certain things like water & heating might be centralised and you pay a fixed monthly fee (to whoever administers the condominio) to cover this. Otherwise you need to get the utilities transferred into your name or reconnected. You also need to tell the comune you will be paying the refuse tax and remember to pay your ICI as most comunes send no bill.

Hi Alba, agree with above. I am soon to complete on an apartment and have organised my Insurance to start on that date. It is freehold so just the same as if in Scotland ie I insure my own flat. As Penny said, it is a different matter with condominiums as they have different sets of rules laid down by the management/factors for utilities and communal bills. Check to see if they have block insurance I would warn that the reconnection of utilities can be expensive in Italy!

Also you will probably have to go to your commune to find out what you have to pay for ICI and refuse bills. Many folk on this forum have had problems trying to pay the bills via bank accounts as well. There is a lot of stuff on the Property and living sections of this forum.