What is the deposito cauzionale and does it really earn interest?
The deposito cauzionale (security deposit, also called the cauzione) is the sum you pay upfront so the landlord has a cushion against damage or unpaid rent. Italian law caps it: it cannot exceed 3 months' rent, under Article 11 of Law 392/1978 as documented on Brocardi.it.
That same article says something most tenants miss. The deposit "è produttivo di interessi legali" — it produces legal interest — which "debbono essere corrisposti al conduttore alla fine di ogni anno" (must be paid to the tenant at the end of each year). The conduttore is you, the tenant.
This is not optional. Any clause in your contract that tries to cancel this interest is null and void. The landlord holds your money; while they hold it, it earns interest that belongs to you.
How much is the deposit interest rate in Italy for 2026?
📷 Mikhail Nilov / Pexels
The rate for 2026 is 1.60% per year. It was set by the MEF Decree of 10 December 2025, published in Gazzetta Ufficiale (Italy's Official Gazette) n. 289 on 13 December 2025 under Article 1284 of the Civil Code, as reported by Fisco Oggi, the Agenzia delle Entrate's official magazine.
Here's why it matters that the rate changes every year. According to the historical table published by Soluzione Tasse, the legal rate has swung a lot: 0.01% in 2021, 1.25% in 2022, 5.00% in 2023, 2.50% in 2024, 2.00% in 2025, and now 1.60% in 2026.
So if your lease started in 2023, part of your deposit was earning a hefty 5.00% for that year. Each year gets calculated at its own rate — you don't apply the 2026 rate to every year you rented. That detail alone can meaningfully change what you're owed.
How do you calculate the interest on your deposit?
📷 Markus Spiske / Pexels
The formula, as laid out by the Suriano.info calculation tool, is:
I = C × S × N / 36,500
Where C is the deposit capital, S is the annual rate as a percentage, and N is the number of days the landlord held the money. That 36,500 is simply 365 days × 100, so it converts a percentage into a daily pro-rata figure.
A simple worked example. Take a €1,500 deposit held for a full year in 2026 at 1.60%: 1,500 × 0.016 = roughly €24 for that year. Over a 3-year lease, that stacks to about €72 in accumulated interest, illustratively derived from the Art. 11 formula and the 2026 rate.
Treat that €24 as illustrative — it's the math on a €1,500 deposit at one year's rate, not a quote from a single source. Your real figure depends on your exact deposit, your start date, and each year's rate.
Why do most landlords never pay it?
Because almost nobody asks. One platform, LeggefaiDate.it, reports that over 98% of landlords do not spontaneously pay deposit interest without a formal written request naming the amount and the legal basis. That figure comes from a single platform with a commercial interest in deposit claims, so read it as a strong signal rather than a national statistic.
The same source notes that a 2023 Rome court confirmed landlords owe this interest even when the contract contains a clause saying otherwise. The clause doesn't save them.
The obligation isn't limited to fancy leases either. It applies across all residential types: the standard contratto 4+4 (four-year lease renewable for four more), the reduced-rate contratto concordato (agreed-rent lease), and the contratto per studenti universitari (student lease). If you're an Erasmus student or expat, your contract is covered too.
Does this apply to Erasmus students and expats?
Yes. The contratto per studenti universitari — the student rental contract under Law 431/1998, Article 5 — lasts 6 to 36 months and explicitly covers university students, including Erasmus, per Uniplaces and Idealista's December 2025 guidance. Rent is set by local territorial agreements, and the deposit interest rule rides along with it.
With single-room rents where they are, deposits aren't trivial. The national average for a single room hit €613/month in 2025, up 8.5% year-on-year, with Milan at €732, Bologna €632, Florence €606 and Rome €575–600, according to Immobiliare.it/SoloAffitti data reported by Sky TG24. A 3-month deposit on a Milan room is well over €2,000 — money that should be quietly earning interest in your favour.
Before you even sign, it pays to hunt smart. If you're still comparing cities and rooms, our guide to affordable neighborhoods in Verona and the ultimate university-and-city guide can help you land somewhere your deposit stretches further.
What if your contract was never registered?
All Italian leases longer than 30 days must be registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate (the tax agency) within 30 days of signing, using form RLI, as Uniplaces explains in its 2026 tenant-rights guide. An unregistered contract leaves your deposit legally exposed and strips you of key enforcement tools — so confirm registration early.
Even so, an unregistered lease is not a free pass for the landlord to keep your money. Under Art. 1, co. 346 of Law 311/2004 the contract may be null, but the landlord must still return the deposit, because keeping it counts as unjust enrichment prohibited by Art. 2041 of the Codice Civile (Civil Code), per Brocardi.it and LaLeggePerTutti. The deposit — and the reasoning behind returning it — survives even a broken contract.
How long do you have to claim, and how do you actually do it?
You have five years. Claims for unpaid deposit interest expire after 5 years under Article 2948 of the Codice Civile, as LeggefaiDate.it notes, meaning you can recover up to five years of accumulated interest — but not older. Don't sit on it.
The practical path, outlined by BeRoomie's expat deposit guide: send a formal demand letter (messa in mora) by raccomandata A/R (registered mail with return receipt) or PEC (certified email). If that's ignored, you go through mandatory mediation, then file for a decreto ingiuntivo (a payment injunction) at the Giudice di Pace (small-claims magistrate) for disputes under €5,000, or the Tribunale above that.
Keep everything: your contract, proof of the deposit, and the check-out inspection report (verbale di riconsegna). Documentation is what turns "I think I'm owed something" into an enforceable claim.
Frequently asked questions
What is the deposit interest rate in Italy for 2026?
It's 1.60% per annum, effective 1 January 2026, set by the MEF Decree of 10 December 2025, according to ANCE. Earlier years used different rates — for example, 2.00% in 2025 and 5.00% in 2023.
Can my contract legally waive the deposit interest?
No. Under Article 11 of Law 392/1978, the interest must be paid to the tenant, and clauses excluding it are null and void. A 2023 Rome court confirmed the obligation stands despite contrary contract terms, per LeggefaiDate.it.
How much interest is a €1,500 deposit worth in 2026?
Roughly €24 for a full year at the 1.60% rate (1,500 × 0.016), and about €72 over a 3-year lease. That's an illustrative figure derived from the Art. 11 formula and the 2026 rate, not a fixed quote — your exact amount depends on your deposit and each year's rate.
Do Erasmus students get deposit interest too?
Yes. The contratto per studenti universitari under Law 431/1998 explicitly covers university students including Erasmus, and the interest obligation applies to it like any residential lease, per Uniplaces and Idealista.
How long do I have to claim unpaid interest?
Five years. Claims prescribe after 5 years under Article 2948 of the Codice Civile, so you can recover up to five years of accumulated interest but nothing older, according to LeggefaiDate.it.
What if my landlord refuses to pay?
Send a formal demand (messa in mora) by raccomandata A/R or PEC, then go through mediation and, if needed, file a decreto ingiuntivo at the Giudice di Pace (under €5,000) or the Tribunale, as BeRoomie outlines.
Knowing your deposit rights is only half the battle — the other half is landing a fair room in the first place, and living well once you're there. Our guide to the 7 golden rules for happy roommates helps with the part that comes after the contract. When you're ready to search, Coinquilino is a free room-and-flatmate app that's become a leading platform in Italy (full disclosure: Coinquilino is our app) — a straightforward way to find a place before you ever worry about getting your cauzione back.
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This article was produced with the help of AI tools and reviewed by the Coinquilino editorial team.
