Large cities, fewer families and more single people are driving the housing market

Palermo, on the other hand, is a favourite city amongst families, with 72.3 per cent of households consisting of families. The predominant age group remains young (18–34 years), and for 66.4 per cent of buyers, this is their first home purchase.

The use of the property as a main residence continues to be the predominant reason. In Florence, Genoa, Rome and Turin, this accounts for over 77 per cent of sales. Investment purchases remain between 20 and 30 per cent in almost all cities.
Three-room flats remain the most commonly purchased property type in most cities. Milan and Turin are exceptions, as two-room flats are the most common (48.2 per cent of sales in the Lombard capital, 36.9 per cent in the Piedmontese capital). Genoa and Verona, on the other hand, are cities where larger flats are preferred, particularly four-room flats.

The analysis also highlights trends in the rental market, where housing choice is the main motivation in almost all major cities, starting with Naples (74 per cent of all rentals), followed by Palermo (71 per cent) and Genoa (63.6 per cent).

The rental market comprises two main categories: workers and students. Among workers, the highest proportions of people renting are found in Verona and Bari, both at around 43 per cent. Among university students, however, Turin is the city with the highest proportion of tenants, standing at 35.5 per cent.

In all the cities analysed, the most active tenants are in the 18–34 age group, accounting for over 65 per cent of the sample in several cities: Bologna, Florence, Milan, Turin and Verona. Single people still make up the majority, with percentages ranging from 40 per cent (for example, in Naples, Palermo and Florence) to a high of 71 per cent in Bari.

There are also differences when it comes to tenancy agreements. In Bologna, 90 per cent opt for a market-rate rent. Genoa has the highest proportion of agreed rents, at 80 per cent; in Bari, 0 per cent of the sample analysed chose this type of tenancy agreement.

In Bari, temporary tenancy agreements are the most common. In Milan, too, this is the most common choice, but the difference compared with the agreed rent is 3.6 percentage points (44.9 per cent of the sample opt for a temporary tenancy agreement and 41.3 per cent for a market-rate tenancy).

Looking at the types of flats most commonly let, small flats such as one-bedroom and two-bedroom flats predominate. The capital of Lombardy also has the highest average rents. For a one-bedroom flat, the average monthly rent asked is just under 1,130 euros. Rome follows, with rents of €949 per month for a one-bedroom flat, followed by Florence and Bologna. Only in Palermo does the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom flat remain below €500.