Renting an apartment in Malta as an American

Most Americans who move to Malta rent first, often in Valletta, Sliema, St Julian's or one of the towns around them. Malta's residential rental market runs under one main law, the Private Residential Leases Act (Chapter 604 of the Laws of Malta), as amended in 2024. It sets out what every lease must contain, how long a lease must last, when a deposit can be kept, how much the rent can rise and how either side ends the agreement. This guide walks through those rules from the Act itself and from the Housing Authority, with notes on utilities and on the documents your residence application needs.

Long and short leases

The Act separates two kinds of private residential lease.

### Long leases

A long private residential lease cannot be shorter than one year. If a contract states a shorter term, the Act treats it as agreed for at least one year. This is the standard lease for someone moving to Malta to live.

### Short leases

A short private residential lease is defined as a lease of six months meant for specific groups, including:

• non-resident workers employed for less than six months, or for a specific task lasting at most six months;
• non-resident students enrolled in courses of less than six months;
• residents who need an alternative primary residence for less than six months.

If you are moving to Malta to live and apply for residence, expect a long lease. A short lease that does not fit these categories is a warning sign.

What a lease must contain

The Act requires every private residential lease to be in writing and to include:

• the property being let;
• the agreed use;
• the lease period, and whether and how it can be extended;
• the rent and how it is paid;
• any deposit paid as security;
• an inventory signed by all parties, showing the condition of the property and of any furniture and appliances.

The inventory can be photographs, if they clearly show the condition, with short descriptions. It is required even for unfurnished lets. If one or more of these essential requirements is missing, the Act says the agreement is null and void.

### Make your inventory count

Because your deposit depends on the condition at move-out, go through the inventory carefully. Photograph walls, floors, appliances, furniture and any damp patches, and make sure the signed version matches what you see.

Registration with the Housing Authority

All private residential leases entered into after the Act came into force, including renewals, must be registered. The landlord must register the lease with the Housing Authority within 30 days of its start. Unregistered contracts are null and void.

The Housing Authority runs the rent registration service at rentregistration.mt. It offers appointments by phone (22991010) for help registering a contract and lists its office at 22 Pietro Floriani Street, Floriana. The site also covers adding or removing a lessee on a registered contract, which matters if a partner joins you later.

### Why registration matters to you

Identità asks for accommodation documents with residence applications, and the residence card is issued at that address. A registered lease is the cleanest proof you can give. Ask for the registration confirmation before you pay the first month.

Deposits

The Act requires the lease to state any amount deposited as security. When you leave at the end of the term, after giving the notice the Act requires, you are entitled to receive the deposit back, subject to the landlord's rights over damage and unpaid amounts.

If you withdraw early from a long lease, before the minimum periods below, the landlord may keep up to one month's rent from the deposit. The landlord can still pursue other amounts you owe.

Rent increases

• Rent can rise only once a year.
• If the lease says nothing about increases, the rent cannot be revised during the term.
• The rent is fixed for the first year.
• Yearly increases cannot exceed the annual change in the Property Price Index published by the National Statistics Office, measured as the average of the previous four quarters.
• An increase can never exceed 5% of the previous rent.

Ending the lease

### When the landlord ends it

A long lease ends at its term only if the landlord gives at least three months' notice by registered letter. If the landlord does not, the lease is treated as renewed for another year, and it keeps renewing. The landlord cannot give notice to end the lease early, outside the Civil Code exceptions the Act preserves.

If the landlord has not given notice but you want to leave on the end date, you give at least one month's notice by registered letter.

### When you leave early

You cannot withdraw from a long lease before:

• six months, for a lease of less than two years;
• nine months, for two years or more but less than three;
• twelve months, for three years or more.

After that, you can withdraw at any time with notice by registered letter:

• one month, for a lease under two years;
• two months, for two to three years;
• three months, for three years or more.

No penalty can be imposed for leaving in line with these periods. After a tacit renewal, you cannot withdraw in the first three months of the renewal period.

For short leases, the tenant cannot withdraw in the first month, then can leave with one week's notice by registered letter.

Send notices by registered letter, as the Act requires, and keep the proof of posting.

Utilities

Malta has one electricity supplier. The Regulator for Energy and Water Services (REWS) explains that Enemalta plc is the only licensed supplier to final customers, so switching supplier is not possible. Billing for electricity and water is handled by ARMS Ltd.

When someone takes over a home that already has a supply, REWS says an application is needed for a change in consumer. ARMS states that moving the account from the owner to the tenant requires a deposit of €466, and that the account should go back to the owner when you leave.

If you keep the account in the owner's name, write into the lease how bills will be calculated and ask to see the real ARMS bills.

Before you sign: a checklist

1. Confirm the lease is a long lease of at least one year.
2. Check every element the Act requires, including deposit and inventory.
3. Agree how the ARMS account will be handled.
4. Get the Housing Authority registration confirmation within 30 days.
5. Keep copies for your residence application.

Common questions

How long must a lease in Malta be? A long private residential lease cannot be shorter than one year under Chapter 604. Short six-month leases are only for specific categories, such as short-term workers and students.

Does my lease have to be registered? Yes. The landlord must register it with the Housing Authority within 30 days of the start. Unregistered leases are null and void.

How much can my rent go up? Once a year at most, in line with the NSO Property Price Index, and never more than 5%. Rent is fixed in the first year.

Can I leave a lease early? Yes, after a minimum period of six, nine or twelve months depending on the lease length, with one to three months' notice by registered letter.