I hear over and over again that the apartment market in Italy is pretty tight.

"They" say the only way to get an apartment is to be related to someone who either owns a building, or related to the person moving out of the apartment you want.

How true is this anymore?

I have no immediate needs for an apartment, I'm just curious to know how true this is.

I'll be in Italy in ottobre and while I wont be looking to rent anything soon, I was planning on checking local papers for pricing and availability...you know...just in case I find the perfect place that while I'm there.

Hi m1ke

There certainly are appartments to rent, it very much depends on where you want to be. Here, as it is a "holiday resort" many people only rent out for the (3/4) summer months, as they get a better return for those months than a long term rental. There are several advertising papers available to pick for free outside stations/tobacconists etc. (La Pulce is the main one), and they always seem to have adverts for properties to rent.