The information that must be present in a  free rent contract to avoid future misunderstandings and disputes are:

• all the characteristics of the property: conditions at the time of rental, location, number of rooms, intended use, etc.;
• personal and fiscal data of the landlord and the tenant;
• duration of the lease, which by contract must be a minimum of 4 years;
• fees to be paid to the owner, how to deal with price variations based on ISTAT parameters, clauses for non-payment of the fee, contract registration fees;
• regulation of early withdrawal
• security deposit paid (if required)
• breakdown of expenses for extraordinary and ordinary maintenance, and for any accessory charges;
• declaration of receipt by the tenant of the APE, the energy performance certificate (for individual real estate units or buildings)
• all other agreements (example: ban on bringing pets into the home)

At the end of the 8 years established by law, it is possible:

• to renew the contract under new conditions;
• to waive the renewal of the contract;

In both cases, it is necessary to send a communication by registered letter, at least 6 months before the deadline. Otherwise, the contract is considered tacitly renewed under the same conditions, therefore another 4 + 4 years.

It is possible to break the contract also anytime after the first 4 years with a written notice, and, if allowed to do so by a clause in the contract, even before the 4 years. 

It is necessary to send a 6 months prior notice or find a suitable substitute that can replace you, so that you don’t have to keep on paying until the normal deadline.