Stunning Italian Town Will Pay Pay Parents' Rent To Move There

Ever just feel like packing your bags and starting a new life somewhere sunny? Well, this gorgeous Italian town is literally paying parents to live there.

Yep, the village of Teora - at the base of Mount Cresta del Gallo in southern Italy - is hoping to attract long term residents, and their plan sounds pretty sweet to us.

Essentially, if you can commit to living in Teora for more than three years and have a minimum of one child when you apply, they'll pay your rent for you.

The new concept was dreamt up by the village's mayor, Stefano Farina, and comes after several Italian communities have been selling empty houses for 1 euro in a bid to boost their populations.

He explained to CNN: "I don't believe in selling empty houses for 1 euro, that doesn't incentivise people to stay in town.

"They just come a few months a year as holiday-makers. That's not the solution.

"But taking up residency and enrolling kids at the local school, that does breathe new life."

The government is offering those eligible £125 a month towards the price of renting a house for two years.

And while this might not sound like a lot, you can rent property for as little as £150 a month over there. (We know. Life is unfair.)

Prospective residents can also take the money in a lump sum of £4,150, which would instead go towards buying a home. Pretty reasonable really, considering some houses in Teora cost not much over £25,000.

And the cherry on the cake is that many of the houses available are in great condition, and even come fully furnished, whereas those on rival £1 housing schemes need full renovations.

The village resides near the Amalfi Coast and Puglia, in a highly desirable location.

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So, why are they struggling for residents?

The issue started after an earthquake in 1980 killed 157 residents, and saw many people choosing to leave to stay on higher ground.

Since then, the population has been dwindling, with the mayor claiming that for every two babies born in Teora, 20 people die - so, it's essential to build the community once more.

Topics: travel

Joanna Freedman

Joanna is a journalist at Tyla with a particular interest in highlighting women's issues and telling inspiring first person stories. She's also their resident foodie, and loves covering exciting new beauty launches, too. Contact her at [email protected].

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