This is confusing to me too. It says on website to move to Malta and rent an apt to get permit but for non EU how is that possible. Yes I can enter Malta and get an on arrival visa since I am from USA but I have doubts about the residency with a rental contract only.
If you like I suggest you can enquire at www.move2gozo.com - Directors Dave and Fiona have lived in Malta for many years. Dave has dual citizenship (UK / Malta) . Very very well connected in the expat community especially on the smaller island in Malta and the one all the Maltese love most i.e. Gozo.
Somehow it seems impossible to think a non EU citizen would enter Malta and just get a rental contract and apply for Malta as well as EU residency without buying a real estate property. Some of the websites are confusing people. This is my humble opinion. Please correct me if I am wrong. U.K. used to be in EU too previously before Brexit.
well as far as I understand you (if you are are not EU citizen) can get residency under MRVP program (i will skip some details) but you need to rent an apartment for 5 years (min 1000 euro per month) + pay 30 k to the government and buy Maltese bonds (for 250 k) and keep them 5 years. In this case you will get lifetime long residency in Malta.