In short. The housing suitability certificate (idoneità alloggiativa) is the municipality’s confirmation that a home meets hygiene, health and suitability standards for the people who will live there. It is needed mainly for the nulla osta (authorisation) for family reunification (Article 29(3) of Legislative Decree 286/1998). Since December 2024 the check must also cover the number of occupants and the Ministerial Decree of 5 July 1975. Procedures, costs and timing vary by municipality.
Here you will find what the certificate is, which applications ask for it, which standards apply, how to obtain it and what to do if the home does not qualify.
Reviewed 5 November 2026. These are general rules, not personalised advice: the practical side depends on your municipality. The official sources at the end were consulted on 5 November 2026; check them again before you apply.
What is the housing suitability certificate (idoneità alloggiativa)?
It is a check by the municipal offices that a home is suitable for a given number of people. The Ministry of the Interior lists a “certificate of housing suitability issued by the municipality for family reunification purposes” (our translation).
The legal basis is Article 29(3)(a) of Legislative Decree 286/1998. Anyone applying for family reunification must show that they have the use of “housing that complies with hygiene and health requirements and with housing suitability, as ascertained by the competent municipal offices” (our translation). Law 187/2024, which converted Decree-Law 145/2024 (annex, Article 12-quater), added that the check is made after verifying “the number of occupants of the home and the other requirements” of the Ministerial Decree of 5 July 1975.
The certificate concerns the home, not you. It does not prove that you may use the home (you need a lease or another title) and it does not guarantee approval of the application. A Ministry of the Interior circular, reported on 21 May 2012 in newsletter no. 6/2012 of the Ministry of Labour, describes it as a technical attestation by the municipal offices that cannot be replaced by a self-declaration.
Which applications require a housing suitability certificate?
The table covers the cases in which the official sources we consulted mention it.
| Application | What the sources say | Housing document |
|---|---|---|
| Nulla osta for family reunification Article 29(3) and (7) |
You must show that you have suitable housing. The application goes online to the Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione (one-stop shop at the Prefecture). | Municipal certificate, or request receipt with a RIA code |
| Family permit for someone already in Italy Article 30(1)(b) and (c); Portale, code 10 |
To convert another permit, the Ministry’s Portale Immigrazione asks for the certificate “in relation to the composition of the family unit” (our translation). | Housing suitability certificate |
| EU long-term residence permit Article 9(1); Portale, code 09 |
The law mentions “suitable housing”. The Portale lists the certificate only for minor children included in the request. | Copy of the certificate, for minor children |
| Residence contract for employed work Article 5-bis(1) and (2) |
The contract must contain the employer’s guarantee of housing that meets the minimum standards of the Ministerial Decree of 5 July 1975, as set by Article 4 of Law 182/2025 (in force from 18 December 2025). Before, the reference was to public housing. | Guarantee in the contract; the rule does not name the certificate. Hotels and construction-site dormitories have simplified rules (Article 22(2)(b)) |
Presidential Decree 394/1999 (the implementing regulation) also asks for proof of housing for the nulla osta (Article 6(1)(c)) and for the EU permit for family members (Article 16(4)(b)). For refugees, Article 29-bis disapplies Article 29(3). For family cohesion with an Italian or EU citizen, the Portale says proof of the family relationship is enough: see our guide on family reunification with an Italian citizen. See also the residence permit for employment and the types of Italian residence permit.
Which standards do the offices apply?
The law sets no measurements. It refers to hygiene and health requirements, to housing suitability and, since 2024, to the Ministerial Decree of 5 July 1975 (Gazzetta Ufficiale no. 190 of 18 July 1975). Among other things, the decree provides:
- a minimum internal height of 2.70 metres (2.40 for corridors, passages, bathrooms and storerooms);
- 14 square metres of habitable floor area for each of the first four occupants and 10 for each additional one;
- for a one-room home, at least 28 square metres for one person and 38 for two, services included.
These are reference figures, not a calculation to make on your own. Municipalities apply their own regulations and, in some cases, take into account the “Salva casa” decree (Decree-Law 69/2024), which allows exceptions on height and floor area. Read your municipality’s rules before you sign a lease.
Why do people still mention the ASL and regional law?
Until 2007, letter (a) referred to the minimum standards of regional public-housing laws. Legislative Decree 5/2007 added, as an alternative, the hygiene and health suitability assessed by the ASL (the local health authority). Law 94/2009 (Article 1(19)) replaced both with the current wording, which names the municipal offices. The older wording survives in Article 9(1) and in Presidential Decree 394/1999, which for family reunification still mentions the municipal attestation “or” the ASL certificate.
How do you get the certificate?
The national sources do not describe the procedure. You apply to the municipality where the home is, and each municipality has its own rules. The steps are usually these.
- Find the page on “idoneità alloggiativa” or “idoneità abitativa” on the website of the municipality where the home is. It names the office, forms and channel.
- Check who may apply (usually whoever has the use of the home) and whether a qualified technician is needed.
- Gather the documents. Often these are an identity document and residence permit, the lease or other title, a floor plan, a cadastral extract, the owner’s declaration and revenue stamps (marche da bollo).
- Submit the application and keep the receipt; sometimes there is an inspection. When you collect the certificate, check that it is for family reunification and shows the address, the date and the number of people for whom the home is suitable.
Costs, timing and validity vary. As examples, Florence (2026) requires two €16 revenue stamps; Brescia, €10 in secretarial fees plus one €16 stamp. The Ministry gives no expiry date for the certificate; some municipalities set one, for example six months or one year. If the certificate is not ready, the Ministry’s list accepts the receipt for the request showing the RIA code, but your municipality may not issue one.
How is the certificate used in the nulla osta application?
As the Prefecture of La Spezia explains, the application is sent online and the housing and income documents are attached as scans. The Sportello Unico checks the requirements and issues the nulla osta or a refusal (Article 29(7)). For the next steps, see our guides on family reunification and on checking the nulla osta.
For housing, the Ministry of the Interior’s list of documents (undated) provides:
- Rented home: a lease of at least six months from the date of the application, with the registration receipt; the certificate or a receipt showing the RIA code; the owner’s declaration on form S2, with the owner’s ID.
- Free loan (comodato) or hospitality: a loan contract or a declaration of transfer of a building for hospitality, of similar length; the certificate or RIA receipt; form S2 and the owner’s ID.
- Owned home: the purchase deed and the certificate (or RIA receipt).
- Hotel or residence: only in the list for accompanying family members (form T), a one-month booking confirmation on headed paper can replace the certificate.
- A single child under 14: the certificate can be replaced by the lease and the owner’s hospitality declaration (form S1), without form S2. The law says that for a child under 14 joining one parent, the consent of the home’s owner is enough.
The list also asks for the household certificate (stato di famiglia) of the people living in the home, marked “uso immigrazione”: a different document. The list is undated and does not mention the 2024 changes, so ask the Sportello Unico whether other documents are needed.
How is it different from hospitality, residence and a lease?
These documents are handled by different offices for different purposes. One does not replace another.
| Document | Who deals with it and where | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Housing suitability certificate Article 29(3)(a) |
Requested from the municipality and attached to the application. | Shows that the home suits the number of people. |
| Declaration of hospitality Article 7(1) |
Made by whoever hosts the foreign national or transfers property to them, in writing to the local public-security authority, within 48 hours. | A public-security notice: it does not assess the home. |
| Registered residence Article 6(7) |
Municipal registry office, on the same terms as Italian citizens. | Records where you habitually live. |
| Registered lease Ministry list |
Attached to the application with the registration receipt. | Shows you have the home at your disposal for at least six months. |
See also our guides on the declaration of hospitality and on registering residence in Italy.
What if the home does not meet the standards?
The sources we consulted give no general alternative to the certificate: if the municipality does not certify suitability, a requirement of the application is missing. You can:
- ask the municipality what the problem is (floor area, number of people, height);
- consider a home better suited to the number of people who would live there;
- for the EU long-term permit, ask the Questura whether it accepts the ASL hygiene and health certificate mentioned in Article 9(1).
If the Sportello Unico refuses the nulla osta, Article 30(6) provides for opposition before the ordinary courts (Article 20 of Legislative Decree 150/2011; text consulted: in force on 11 April 2023). Check the time limits with a lawyer straight away, and see our guide on refusal and appeal.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a housing suitability certificate for family reunification?
Yes. For the nulla osta you must show that you have housing meeting hygiene, health and suitability requirements, as ascertained by the municipal offices (Article 29(3)(a)). The Ministry of the Interior asks for the municipal certificate or the request receipt showing the RIA code.
Who issues the certificate: the municipality or the ASL?
For family reunification the law names the municipal offices, and the Ministry of the Interior speaks of a certificate issued by the municipality. The ASL still appears in other rules, such as Article 9 and Presidential Decree 394/1999. Follow the instructions of your municipality and of the Sportello Unico.
How long is the certificate valid and how much does it cost?
The national rules we consulted and the Ministry’s list give neither an expiry date nor a fee. Some municipalities set a validity period, for example six months or one year, and charge stamps and other amounts. Check your municipality’s website.
Can I self-declare that my home is suitable?
According to a 2012 Ministry of the Interior circular, reported by the Ministry of Labour on 21 May 2012, the certificate is a technical attestation by the municipal offices and cannot be replaced by a self-declaration. Ask the Sportello Unico whether that rule still applies to your application.
Official sources
- Gazzetta Ufficiale no. 289 of 10 December 2024: Law 187/2024, annex, Article 12-quater – Gazzetta Ufficiale (Italian text)
- Legislative Decree 286/1998, text in force on 5 February 2025 – Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Italian text)
- Legislative Decree 286/1998, Articles 28–34, text in force on 11 April 2023 – Ministry of Justice (Italian text)
- Law 94/2009, Article 1(19) – Ministry of Labour and Social Policies (Italian text)
- Presidential Decree 394/1999, text in force on 28 March 2024 – Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Italian text)
- Document lists for the family reunification nulla osta (forms SM and GN) – Ministry of the Interior (Italian text)
- Code 10: conversion into a permit for family reasons – Portale Immigrazione, Ministry of the Interior (Italian text)
- EU long-term residence permit – Portale Immigrazione, Ministry of the Interior (Italian text)
How can SH Immigration Specialists help?
SH Immigration Specialists offers administrative help to understand which housing document your application needs, prepare the paperwork and organise the nulla osta application. Legal advice, appeals and representation are handled by the lawyers of SH Immigration Specialists. The outcome depends on the competent authorities. For an assessment, contact us.
This content provides general information and does not constitute legal advice.
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Which other guides may help you?
- Family reunification in Italy 2026: requirements, income, documents and procedure
- How to Check Your Family Reunification Nulla Osta Status in Italy
- Accompanying Family Members in Italy: Nulla Osta, Visa and Permit
- Declaration of Hospitality in Italy and Cessione di Fabbricato
- Registering Residence in Italy as a Foreigner: Rules and Documents
- EU Long-Term Residence Permit in Italy: Validity, Renewal and Time Abroad
- Italian residence permit for employment: requirements, duration and costs
- Italian residence permit refused or revoked: what happens and how to appeal
