The tradition of extended family living has deep roots in Italy. However, one determined mother decided to make a stand, after her sons aged 40 and 42 refused to leave home. The judge issued an eviction order.
A 75-year-old woman from Pavia in the north had reached her limit with her two middle-aged sons, aged 40 and 42, who showed no signs of leaving the comforts of the family nest.
Despite having jobs, her sons refused to leave home, shirking both financial responsibilities and household chores. Exasperated by their refusal to live independently, the woman urged them to seek their own living arrangements, to no avail.
According to the local newspaper, La Provincia Pavese, her patience wore thin, and she decided to take legal action. Judge Simona Caterbi of Pavia empathised with her predicament and issued an eviction order against her adult sons.
In her judgment, Caterbi acknowledged the initial obligation of parents to provide support but asserted that it was no longer justifiable for these men, now well into their 40s, to remain at home. The court granted them until December 18 to vacate the premises.
Large percentage of 18–34-year-olds still at home
This case sheds light on a broader phenomenon in the country. A significant proportion of adults, particularly in the 18 to 34 age bracket, still reside with their parents. Data from 2022 shows nearly 70% of individuals in this age group have not yet left home. Of this group, 72.6% are men and 66% are women.
A 2019 study further revealed that among these young adults, 36.5% were students, 38.2% held jobs, and 23.7% were actively seeking employment. While Italy has a historical tradition of multiple generations living together, the prolonged stay of young adults in the family home is increasingly linked to challenging economic conditions and the extended duration it takes to secure stable employment.
Though eviction orders are relatively rare, Italy has witnessed cases where adult children take their parents to court, seeking continued financial support. Notably, in 2020, Italy’s supreme court rejected the appeal of a 35-year-old part-time musician who argued that his income of €20,000 was insufficient to sustain an independent life and insisted on monetary assistance from his parents. The court’s verdict underscored that young adults do not possess an automatic entitlement to financial support from their parents.
