Hi everyone it's my first time in this

Try casa.it/affiti or search town or place name you want to rent along with "affito" and you should come up with lots... Seeing a lot of posts here and elsewhere I think it's pretty much accepted that being on the ground will open up many more choices. A number have used the likes of Airbnb to get there and then find a place to rent longer term.

On some of the apartment rental sites you can send messages directly to the renter. Some will ngotiate lower rates if you explain that you want to rent for long-term.  Good luck!

Thankyou very much for your reply, i'll certainly follow that up very much appreciated ☺