Airbnb Restored One of Italy's Famous 1-euro Houses — and You Can Live There Rent-free for a Year

Airbnb is on the hunt for someone willing to take a year-long break from their normal life and live rent-free in an Italian designer home instead.

In January, the home-sharing giant announced its plan to find a person to live in a thoughtfully restored, three-story Italian heritage home in Sambuca, Sicily.

"With a newfound flexibility to live and work remotely, one person will be given the opportunity to relocate to Sicily with their family, partner, or friend and move into this uniquely restored house," reps for Airbnb announced in a statement.

The town name may sound familiar. That's because in 2019 it launched a campaign to sell dilapidated homes for just 1 euro to both encourage international investment and to help restore this once great village. Airbnb happened to heed the call and worked with the Italian architectural firm Studio Didea to transform the home. For the project, Airbnb explained, it used materials and colors in "harmony with the local landscape" and blended both modern and old-school design to fit into Sicily's architecture.

Now, the home comes with a primary bedroom with king-size bed and en-suite bathroom, a large living room to mingle in, a chef's kitchen, a working space, an additional mezzanine bedroom with a king-size bed, and an upper floor that includes an additional living space with a queen-size sofa bed.

"The beauty of this campaign is that it gives a second chance not just to an abandoned heritage home in the heart of our village — it's also a second chance to the person who moves into it," Leonardo Ciaccio, mayor of Sambuca, shared in a statement. "We see it as a designer makeover for the house and the host. We're looking for someone who wants to live with the local population and participate in all the important moments of the community, from the grape harvest to olive picking and we can't wait to welcome whoever gets selected."

The successful applicant will get to choose the bedroom that best suits their needs, and will be in charge of listing the second bedroom on Airbnb.

According to the company, the ideal candidates "should be committed to hosting and contributing to village life." The residence program will begin on June 30 and last for an entire year. The applicant will retain all earnings from hosting on Airbnb.

Candidates must be over 18 and must be available to move to Sambuca for at least three consecutive months starting from June 30, 2022. Candidates must be able to speak conversational English and some Italian a plus. The selected participant will also be given the chance to take part in a mentorship program, including learning Italian and attending Italian cooking classes. The candidate can also bring their partner, friend, or family (maximum of two adults and two children in total).

Ready to apply? visit airbnb.com/1eurohouse and complete the application form now. Then, start brushing up on your Italian ASAP.