This idyllic Italian town will pay your rent if you move there

Fancy lowering your living costs and spending more time in the sun? A small Italian town is offering to pay the rent of new residents in a bid to boost its declining population.

Teora, in the southern region of Campania, is trying to attract new residents to the town with an offer to pay the rent of anyone who moves there.

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Teora wants to boost its declining population (Photo: Google Maps)

Similar initiatives have been trialled across Italy, with villages offering €1 villas to encourage residents to re-populate the area. However, Teora takes the view that this merely encourages outsiders to purchase holiday homes rather than settle down in the area.

€150 per month towards rent for two years

Instead, the picturesque town is offering €150 per month towards rent for two years to anyone wanting to move in.

Though this might not cover the full cost of monthly rent, prices in the town can start from as little as €200 a month for a rental property, meaning you would only pay €50 a month to live there for the first two years.

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Alternatively, Teora will give new residents €5,000 towards the cost of buying a property in the town. One hundred square metre homes are on sale in the town for just €30,000 - far below the cost of many UK properties.

A view over the countryside in Teora (Photo: Google Maps)

To qualify for the scheme, however, you must be a family with one at least one child. You must also make a commitment to stay in Teora for at least three years.

Just two babies born each year

The mayor of Teora hopes to breathe new life into the town, which saw its population dwindle after an earthquake in 1980.

According to Teora's mayor, Stefano Farina, on average just two babies are born in the town each year, compared to an average death rate of 20.

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Unlike the €1 house initiatives, properties in Teora won't require extensive renovation work and are in a good condition.

In spite of much of the town's heritage being damaged or destroyed by the last earthquake, it remains picturesque and functioning, set in lush green hills. It features fountains, a water mill, an ancient church and an amphitheatre, along with other usual amenities.