Hello, I’m Ottavia Tagliavini
I’m the founder and manager of RentalMilan.com and I live in Milan.
I created Rental Milan to help international students find a comfortable, reliable home in the city and feel supported during their stay.
My story
I was born in Milan in 1975 and I graduated in Public Relations at IULM University in 2000.
After graduating, I worked for one year in the press office of the Italian fashion brand Roberto Cavalli.
Then I worked for six years as a media planner in two international advertising agencies in Milan.
Later, I founded PANORA, a small business focused on creating 360° Virtual Tours for real estate agencies.
This experience helped me understand how important transparency is when renting a home from abroad.
How Rental Milan started
I created Rental Milan in 2008, and at the beginning the website featured only my own apartment, “Otty”.
Soon, some friends asked me to help them rent out their flats to international students.
At first I explored short-term rentals, but I quickly realized that the best solution for both students and landlords was
medium-term rentals — typically 3 to 12 months.
In Milan it is often difficult to find a reliable place for stays shorter than one year, because many landlords prefer long contracts (often “4+4 years”).
For students coming from abroad, it can also be difficult to understand listings, conditions and costs — especially without speaking Italian.
What I do today
Today I manage Rental Milan and personally coordinate the service behind each rental.
My work is not only about finding an apartment: it’s about making sure everything runs smoothly before arrival and throughout the stay.
- I work directly with apartment owners and manage selected apartments
- I create or organise video tours and virtual tours to make listings transparent
- I coordinate the monthly cleaning service
- I support tenants with maintenance requests and practical needs during the rental period
Why I enjoy this work
I truly enjoy this work because it allows me to help students feel comfortable in a new city.
Moving abroad can be exciting, but also stressful — and my goal is to make the housing process clear, reliable and easy.
I always try to offer a professional and transparent service and help you feel at home in Milan.
Ottavia Tagliavini
A few numbers about Rental Milan
- Rental Milan was founded in 2008
- Dozens of apartments managed in Milan
- Students from many countries around the world
- Hundreds of video tours and student reviews available online
Watch my video
In this short video I explain how Rental Milan works and how I help international students find reliable housing in Milan.
University Housing Talks with Ottavia
A series of conversations and tips dedicated to international students looking for housing in Milan.
