Italy changes repair rules for electronics: what buyers need to know

New rules for repairing household appliances and electronics came into force in Italy on October 22, 2026. Manufacturers are now obliged to ensure the repair of certain categories of devices even after the warranty period expires. In addition, buyers will be able to receive an additional year of warranty if they choose to repair a faulty item instead of replacing it.

This is reported by Rai News. The innovations are provided for by legislative decree No. 176/2026, which implements the European directive on the right to repair. The document is published in the official database of Italian legislation Normattiva.

The main change concerns repairing equipment after the legal warranty ends. Previously, manufacturers were not always required to accept a faulty device for servicing after the warranty period expired. Now, for certain goods, this obligation is enshrined in law.

The repair must be carried out within a reasonable time, free of charge or for a justified fee. At the same time, the manufacturer has the right to refuse to restore a device if it is technically impossible.

Which equipment is required to be repaired

The new requirements apply to devices for which European legislation sets special repairability rules. They include:

• Smartphones, tablets and cordless phones;
• Washing machines and dryers;
• Dishwashers;
• Refrigerators and freezers;
• Televisions and electronic displays;
• Vacuum cleaners;
• Servers and certain data storage equipment;
• Some types of heating equipment, welding machines and equipment with batteries for light electric vehicles.

However, the new manufacturers' obligations do not automatically extend to all electronics. In particular, laptops, game consoles and many small kitchen appliances are not yet included in the list of goods for which mandatory post-warranty servicing under these rules is established.

When the warranty is extended by one year

A separate innovation concerns goods that break down during the legal warranty period.

In Italy, the seller is usually liable for defects discovered within two years of purchase. If a buyer chooses repair as a way to fix a defect, the seller's liability period is extended once by 12 months.

Thus, a standard two-year period can be extended to three years. The seller must inform the buyer in advance about the choice between repair and replacement, and about the consequences of this choice for the warranty.

An important feature of the Italian law: the provision on the additional year of warranty applies to purchase contracts concluded from July 31, 2026. The obligation on manufacturers to provide post-warranty repairs takes effect from October 22.

How much the repair will cost

After the warranty ends, repair will not necessarily be free. However, manufacturers must offer it at a reasonable price and ensure the availability of necessary spare parts and tools.

Companies are prohibited, without objective justification, from using technical, software, or contractual restrictions that hinder device repair. The manufacturer also cannot refuse servicing solely because the item was previously repaired at an independent workshop.

To increase transparency, a single European repair information form is provided. Workshops will be able to indicate in it the cost of work, completion time, nature of the fault, and conditions for providing a temporary replacement device.

If a repair workshop provides such a form, the specified conditions must remain valid for at least 30 days.

Fines of 5 to 50 thousand euros are provided for violations of the new requirements. In particularly serious cases or for repeat violations, sanctions may be doubled.

Monitoring of compliance with the legislation will be carried out by the Italian antitrust and consumer regulator AGCM.

The changes apply to consumers in Italy regardless of citizenship, so new opportunities are available to Ukrainians residing in the country. To apply for a warranty repair, it is important to keep a proof of purchase, since the date of the contract determines the applicability of certain provisions of the law.

Earlier, "Kurs Ukrainy" reported on pan-European rules for appliance repair. The current change concerns directly the entry into force of the corresponding national law in Italy.