Apartment rental in Italy

[dante]

Hey everyone,
I'm in the middle of negotiating an apartment rental in Chiavari.

The agent is quoting 260 Euro per month for the condominio/service charge!

That sounds stupidly high to me. The agent is trying to tell me it is this high because the apartment was formerly two flats now converted into one.

Can anyone give me a bit of a steer on this.

I've been told the service charge includes: lighting of the building, hot water and heating. However, it's not a fixed fee. There is supposed to be a reconciliation at the end of the year where your actual consumption is calculated.

I'm not sure if the condominio includes TARSU tax either. Still waiting to see a draft contract.

There's also an issue about IVA on this apartment, but that probably warrants a separate thread.....
Good luck