Housing in San Marino

Private renting is the usual way to obtain a home in San Marino. A standard residential lease, called locazione ordinaria, normally lasts at least three years and can be extended. A temporary lease, called locazione transitoria, can last less than three years but cannot simply be renewed; continued occupancy requires a new registered contract. The parties can prepare a private written agreement, while a public deed or certified signatures require a Notaio. Registration normally requires the original and a certified copy, or at least two dated and signed originals. Where the energy rules apply, the contract also needs an APE or substitute declaration; without it, the lease may be invalid. A tenant who is not resident must attach proof of an existing right to stay or live in San Marino, such as a permesso di soggiorno or university enrolment. A lease by itself does not create an immigration or residence status. The contract and the applicable rules should be checked for termination periods because the available sources do not establish one uniform period for every ordinary lease. Official national rent statistics were not reliably identified, so asking prices and private brokerage remain the main practical reference for market housing. Buying property requires notarial handling and checks of the cadastral and building situation. The Ufficio del Registro e Conservatoria records transfers and handles transcription and registration changes, while the Notaio prepares the public deed or certifies signatures. The buyer should check building and planning compliance with UPTE and obtain the required certificate from the Ispettorato confirming that no relevant building or planning violations are pending. Standard purchase charges listed in San Marino public information include a 2.5% registration tax, 1% transcription tax, 0.4% cadastral registration change tax, a EUR 130 stamp duty and EUR 65 cadastral fees. A qualifying Prima Casa purchase can reduce the registration and transcription charges to EUR 70 each, but eligibility must be confirmed before relying on the reduction. Prima Casa financing under Law 44/2015, as amended by Law 64/2025, can support the purchase, construction, completion, extension, renovation or restoration of a home. The dwelling must be below 200 square metres, and the supported amount is capped at EUR 250,000. The interest contribution is 65% for a term of up to 25 years, 70% up to 20 years, 75% up to 15 years and 80% up to 10 years. State guarantees and interest-support instruments may also apply. General access requires San Marino citizenship or foreign nationality combined with at least five years of registered and actual residence, subject to limited exceptions for spouses or civil-union partners. The applicant generally applies within one year after taking out the mortgage, obtains building-compliance documentation within three years and transfers residence within six months after the relevant certificate. A suitable existing residential property or qualifying leasing right can prevent access under the statutory criteria. The subsidised property generally cannot be sold until the loan is repaid unless the Commissione per la Gestione dell’Edilizia Residenziale authorises an exception because housing needs have changed. Edilizia Sociale e Residenziale provides targeted public housing rather than a general alternative to private renting. A temporary allocation under Decree Law 30/2018 can serve individuals or families with a genuine and documented housing need. UPOBIS, Sezione Edilizia Sociale e Residenziale, examines applications, and allocation follows a government decision and agreement. The published FAQ uses an indicative income limit of EUR 11,115 per person and also examines property ownership, employment and pension circumstances. The rent is income-based: 5% of net per-person income up to EUR 2,582.28, 10% up to EUR 7,746.85, 15% up to EUR 12,911.42 and 25% up to EUR 15,493.71. Existing administrative relationships are handled according to the applicable arrangements of Contabilità di Stato. Special residence and shared-housing arrangements follow separate rules. Residenza elettiva can involve buying property for at least EUR 500,000 or placing a tied deposit of EUR 600,000. The decision can take up to 60 days, the purchase or deposit must generally be completed within three months, and building compliance or habitability must be completed within 24 months where renovation is required. This status should not be confused with ordinary housing searches; during consolidation, it does not provide Prima Casa assistance or other ordinary housing benefits. Coabitazione Intergenerazionale Temporanea, or CIT, matches university students or holders of seasonal-work residence permits with older residents for up to 12 months, possibly with an extension. Its matching procedure, age limits, minimum living space and tax treatment depend on implementing rules, and it is not a basis for residenza atipica. Housing emergency policy under Law 64/2025 provides for measures such as increasing supply, controlling rent increases, supporting renovation and extending interest contributions or state guarantees, but some implementation details remain dependent on later rules. Foreign non-residents considering a purchase for holiday use face a separate approval system: under Article 18 of Law 94/2017, the Consiglio dei XII may authorise one fully owned residential unit acquired for value and built or structurally unfinished before 31 May 2017. The listed registration tax is 8%, without the usual tax concessions, and the 2026 application fee is EUR 200 for up to five units. Each case requires current confirmation from the competent authorities.