Hi Me and my boyfriend are looking into renting an apartment for a year or more. We have just arrived in Rome and will start our own business. Do we need any type of social security number or such before we can sign a contract?
Yes, you'll need to get hold of a tax number (codicefiscale) for just about anything requiring paperwork in Italy, including renting an apartment, opening a bank account, etc. You can apply for acodicefiscale in advance at your local Italian embassy/consulate (which will be one less thing to worry about when you get to Italy) or at a tax office in Italy.
The Expat Arrivals page on Accommodation in Italy goes into quite a lot of detail on kinds of rental contracts and outlines the process of renting an apartment, which you might find useful.
Yes, you'll need to get hold of a tax number (codice fiscale) for just about anything requiring paperwork in Italy, including renting an apartment, opening a bank account, etc. You can apply for a codice fiscale in advance at your local Italian embassy/consulate (which will be one less thing to worry about when you get to Italy) or at a tax office in Italy.
The Expat Arrivals page on Accommodation in Italy goes into quite a lot of detail on kinds of rental contracts and outlines the process of renting an apartment, which you might find useful.
Best of luck with your move!
Cheers,
Meagan