If you've just moved into a shared flat for Erasmus or a first job, this usually comes up within a few weeks. The first bill arrives, it has one name on it, and suddenly that person is the house bank. This article explains why the system works that way, who carries the risk and how to set rules that keep things fair.
Why is only one flatmate's name on the utility bills?
It's how the contract works, not a quirk of your flat. Luce-gas.it's 2026 guide says an Italian electricity or gas contract can legally have just one intestatario, unlike France, where a bill can carry more than one name. There's no "joint account" box to tick when you sign up with a supplier.
The same guide says Italy has no legal method for dividing a shared utility bill between flatmates. The supplier deals with the intestatario and nobody else. If the bill isn't paid, the supplier goes after that person, whatever your group chat says about whose turn it was.
That's why the intestatario is so important in a shared flat. The name on the contract is usually the flatmate who moved in first, the one who had a codice fiscale (Italian tax code) ready, or the one who agreed to handle it. The internet line tends to work the same way in practice: one person signs, usually with their codice fiscale and a payment method in their own name. If you don't have a tax code yet, our guide to getting your codice fiscale in Italy explains the steps.
Who should be the intestatario for luce and gas?
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The best choice is usually not the most organised flatmate. It's whoever is officially resident at the address. Luce-gas.it's guide, updated in 2026, recommends putting the electricity contract in the name of a residente (someone officially resident there). That's because a domestic electricity account registered as non residente pays higher transport and system charges than a resident one.
Many Erasmus students never register residency at the flat, so if one of them holds the electricity contract, the whole house may pay those higher charges all year. If one flatmate is a long-term resident, such as an Italian student or someone on a permesso di soggiorno (residence permit) who has registered their address, it usually makes sense for them to hold the electricity account.
Holding the contract is a burden, so the house should share it fairly:
- Rotate or share the admin. If one person holds electricity, someone else can take gas or internet.
- Pay the intestatario quickly. They pay the supplier in full, so they shouldn't be waiting weeks to get the money back.
- Share every bill in a group folder.
What happens if a roommate doesn't pay their share?
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Two different debts can go unpaid, and they work differently.
Utility bills: the supplier's contract is only with the intestatario. If a flatmate doesn't pay their share, the intestatario still owes the full amount to the supplier. Getting the money back from the flatmate is a private matter between you.
Rent on a shared lease: when several flatmates sign one lease together, they are usually liable in solido (jointly and severally) for the rent. Under Article 1292 of the Italian Civil Code of 1942, still in force, a creditor owed a joint debt can demand the entire amount from any one of the co-debtors. So the landlord (locatore) can ask one tenant (conduttore) for the whole rent.
A partial safeguard: Article 1298 of the Civil Code, also from 1942 and still in force, presumes that co-debtors' internal shares are equal unless a different split has been agreed or can be proven. If you paid more than your share, you have a basis for claiming it back from the others. If you want an unequal split, for example because rooms differ in size, write it down. Otherwise the law assumes everyone pays the same.
How do you split utility bills fairly between roommates?
Since the law gives you no method, your flat needs to agree on one. Three models are common:
- Equal split. Matches the Civil Code's default of equal shares and works when everyone lives similarly.
- Split by room. A bigger room or a private bathroom pays a larger share. This is usually decided together with the rent split.
- Split by presence. Someone away for a long stretch pays less for that period. Fairest, but agree in advance what counts as "away".
Whatever you choose, a short written house agreement usually prevents most arguments. It should cover:
- Who holds each contract (electricity, gas, internet).
- Which split model applies to each bill.
- A payment deadline after the bill is shared.
- What happens when a bill period overlaps with someone moving in or out.
Check your lease for oneri accessori (service charges billed with the rent) so nothing is counted twice. For the everyday side of living together, see the 7 golden rules for happy roommates.
Which paperwork decides who carries the risk?
The lease paperwork decides who is formally responsible for the flat:
- Registration. According to the Agenzia delle Entrate's official portal, checked in 2026, a residential lease must be registered within 30 days of signing (or of the start date, if earlier) whenever the tenancy lasts more than 30 days a year. That makes someone the provable lease holder, even on a contratto transitorio (temporary lease); the landlord's cedolare secca (flat rental tax) choice doesn't change who owes what.
- Deposit. Under Article 11 of Law 392/1978, still in force, the deposit (deposito cauzionale, loosely called the caparra) is capped at three months' rent, with annual legal interest owed to the tenant. Record in writing who paid what share of it.
- Room sublets. La Legge per Tutti explained in 2019, citing Law 431/1998, that subletting one room (sublocazione parziale) needs no landlord consent unless the lease forbids it. Advance written notice naming the subtenant, duration and rooms is still required.
- Police notification. The Questura di Bologna's official page, checked in 2026, says whoever gives a foreign national use of housing must notify the Questura in writing within 48 hours of move-in (dichiarazione di ospitalità or cessione di fabbricato), or face a fine of roughly €103 to €1,549.
What should you do when the intestatario moves out?
If the intestatario leaves and the contract stays in their name, they're still responsible for bills they no longer use, and the flatmates who stay depend on someone who has gone home.
The fix is a voltura, which transfers the utility account to a new name. Under ARERA Delibera 135/2021, in force since 30 September 2021, Italy's energy regulator lets electricity customers request a change of account holder and a change of supplier in a single combined request, instead of two separate procedures. The ARERA press release from 2021 also says the supplier must accept or reject a voltura request within 3 working days and complete it within 5 working days.
Practical steps before the intestatario leaves:
- Take a meter reading on the handover day and photograph it.
- Agree who becomes the new intestatario, ideally someone who is resident (see above).
- Settle the last bill using that reading, so the person leaving pays only for their own share.
If the person leaving is also ending their lease, notice periods apply. Our guide to terminating a rental contract in Italy covers the notice rules.
FAQ
Can two flatmates both be named on an Italian electricity bill?
No. According to Luce-gas.it's 2026 guide, an Italian electricity or gas contract can legally have only one intestatario. Everyone else's share is a private arrangement with that person.
Who pays the gas bill in a shared apartment in Italy?
The supplier bills the intestatario, who pays the full amount. The other flatmates then pay their shares to that person under whatever split the house has agreed. No official formula exists, as Luce-gas.it's 2026 guide confirms.
Is it better if an Italian resident holds the contracts?
Usually, yes, for electricity. Luce-gas.it's 2026 guide notes that non-resident domestic electricity accounts pay higher transport and system charges than resident ones. A flatmate officially resident at the address is usually the cheaper choice.
Can the landlord make me pay a flatmate's unpaid rent?
On a shared lease, yes. Article 1292 of the 1942 Civil Code allows a creditor to demand a joint debt in full from any one co-debtor. Article 1298 then presumes equal internal shares, which gives you a basis for recovering the money from the flatmate who didn't pay.
How long does a voltura take?
According to ARERA's 2021 press release on Delibera 135/2021, suppliers must accept or reject the request within 3 working days and complete it within 5 working days.
Do these rules change depending on how much rent I pay?
No. The contract rules above apply at any rent, but higher rent makes getting them right more important. Immobiliare.it Insights data reported by Sky TG24 in August 2026 put the national average for a single room at €575 a month, down 6.2% year-on-year. AGI, reporting the same 2026 data, put Milan at €704 and Chieti at €240. If you're still looking for a room, our honest comparison of room-finding apps in Italy is a good place to start. It includes Coinquilino (coinquilino.app), a free app for finding rooms and roommates in Italy. Full disclosure: Coinquilino is our app. Before you sign, ask the current flatmates who holds each contract and how they split the bills.
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This article was produced with the help of AI tools and reviewed by the Coinquilino editorial team.
