Housing suitability certificate in Milan: what it is and how to get it

Updated on 1 October 2026

The housing suitability certificate (idoneità alloggiativa; in Milan it is called attestazione di idoneità abitativa) is the Municipality’s document that says how many people can live in a home. It is needed above all for family reunification, the carta di soggiorno (EU long-term residence permit) and the stay contract for work. In Milan you ask for it at the district office (Municipio) where the home is located, and in many cases an inspection by a technician is also needed.

In brief

• It is the document that states how many people can live in that home.
• In Milan it is issued by the Municipio where the home is located: check first on the Municipality’s Geoportale.
• For family reunification and the carta di soggiorno you usually also need the hygiene and health inspection.
• From 1 July 2026 the Municipi use new forms for the technical inspection.
• A home that is too small for the number of people is the most common cause of problems.

What is the housing suitability certificate?

It is a certificate from the Municipality about the home where you live or will live. The Municipality checks the floor area and the rooms and decides for how many people the home is suitable. When the law requires it, it also checks the hygiene and health requirements (for example air, light, damp, installations).

For family reunification the rule is written in the law. Article 29 of the Consolidated Immigration Act (Testo Unico Immigrazione) requires proof of “housing that meets hygiene and health requirements, as well as housing suitability”, checked by the Municipality’s offices.

When do you need the housing suitability certificate?

According to the pages of the Municipi of the Municipality of Milan, the certificate is needed for:

1. the stay contract for employed work;
2. the EU residence permit for long-term residents (the carta di soggiorno), when the application also includes family members;
3. entry for self-employment;
4. family reunification;
5. entry of accompanying family members;
6. family cohesion.

For the carta di soggiorno, the State Police (Polizia di Stato) specifies that suitable housing must be documented if the application is also made for family members.

Which office do I ask in Milan?

In Milan there is no single office: each Municipio issues the certificate only for homes in its own area. The Municipality asks you to check first on the Geoportale which Municipio your address belongs to.

Do not rely on the name of the neighbourhood: two nearby streets can belong to different Municipi. Always check your exact address.

Each Municipio explains on its page of the comune.milano.it website how to send the application (online or by email) and gives the email address of the housing suitability office. If you live outside Milan, in a municipality of the province, the procedure is different: you must ask your own Municipality.

Which documents do I need?

The exact list is published by each Municipio and may change. Usually you need:

• a signed application form;
• a registered rental contract, a loan-for-use contract or a title deed;
• the home’s cadastral floor plan (planimetria catastale);
• a valid residence permit (or renewal receipt) and identity document;
• a revenue stamp (marca da bollo);
• if an inspection is needed: the technical form completed by the technician and the certificates for the installations (gas and electrical).

If you are a guest at a relative’s or friend’s home, the documents of the person hosting you are needed too. Remember that anyone who hosts a foreigner must file the hosting declaration within 48 hours.

When is a hygiene and health inspection needed?

According to the Municipality of Milan, the hygiene and health check is needed for:

• family reunification;
• family cohesion;
• entry of accompanying family members;
• EU residence permit for long-term residents;
• homes with a cadastral area under 28.80 square metres.

The inspection can be carried out by a technician through the Municipality’s agreement with the Association of Surveyors (Collegio dei Geometri) of the Province of Milan, or by a qualified professional chosen by you.

News for 2026: the Municipi pages say that the forms for the technical inspection have been updated and must be used from 1 July 2026. If your technician filled in an old form, your application risks being sent back.

How long does it take?

Some Municipi pages state that the certificate is issued within 30 days of the application being registered, in order of arrival and without urgent cases. Timing may however vary from one Municipio to another: check your own Municipio’s page.

Think ahead: for family reunification the certificate must be attached to the work permit clearance (nulla osta) application, so it is one of the first documents to ask for.

What if the home is too small?

This is the most frequent problem. If the home is not big enough for all the people you want to bring over, the certificate will state a lower number and the reunification may be refused for part of the family. Before signing a new rental contract, it is wise to ask a technician for how many people the home can be declared suitable.

People already living there count too: if other people already live in the home, they are included in the calculation.

Do you need help with the housing suitability certificate?

We can check your documents, tell you which Municipio to contact and prepare the family reunification or carta di soggiorno application that uses it. The certificate is issued by the Municipality, so we cannot guarantee the result, but we can help you avoid a wrong application.

Book a 30-minute consultation for €60 at our office in Milan or online on WhatsApp, or write to Sofia, the studio’s assistant, on WhatsApp from the booking box on this page.