When planning to study in Italy, there are several essential steps to consider. After selecting your study program and handling the necessary paperwork, the next crucial task is finding suitable accommodation.
You’ll want a place that’s comfortable, not too expensive, and conveniently located. In this article, we’ll share some useful information to help you figure out how to find accommodation in Italy as an international student.
Difficulties students might face during their house hunt
1. Language barrier:
The linguistic nuances involved in housing contracts and communications with landlords can pose challenges. Overcoming this obstacle might involve relying on platforms with multilingual support, where conversations with landlords happens via chat making it easier to navigate.
2. Limited availability:
In major cities like Rome, Florence, and Milan, the demand for student housing is high, making it a competitive task to find suitable accommodation. Initiating the search well in advance is crucial to securing the best options. After securing your course, the sooner you lock your accommodation, the better.
3. Time limits:
In some cases, certain accommodations may prioritize longer-term tenants, with minimum rental periods of around three months being common. The providers we listed in this article offer both long and short term options.
Types of accommodation in Italy for international students:
- Shared houses
- Private apartments
- Homestay
Shared houses
This option is ideal for students on a budget seeking both comfort and social connections while living abroad. Is one of the most popular options also for local Italian students.
Your accommodation will include a private room furnished with a bed, storage, and often a desk and chair. Shared spaces like bathrooms, kitchens, and living rooms are common areas where you’ll interact with other residents.
Utilities are shared with the other tenants, making this a more budget friendly option.
Private apartment
If you value privacy and independence, a private apartment is the ideal option for you. Living in a private apartment in Italy offers the advantages of complete control over your living space, independence in household decisions, flexibility to personalize your environment, and a quieter atmosphere conducive to studying and relaxation.
In Italy, normally the most popular option in this category is one room apartment, called monolocale.
However, private apartments come at a higher rental cost and responsibility for utilities that are not shared with others. Additionally, not all options come furnished.
Homestay
Living with a local family in Italy provides an immersive cultural experience, support and guidance, access to authentic cuisine, a safe environment, and opportunities for cultural exchange, enriching your study abroad experience and helping you practice Italian as much as possible.
Typically, homestay arrangements offer breakfast and dinner meals, though in many cases, you can choose to decline this option.
Homestay is generally the priciest choice, but it’s often the most convenient. Typically you won’t have to concern yourself with utilities or cooking, as the host family handles these responsibilities.
We offer homestay accommodation options through our partnerships with language schools. If you’re interested in this choice, please reach out to us for further information.
How to find accommodation in Italy
Below we listed a few options ideal for International students:
Uniplaces
Established in 2013, Uniplaces is dedicated to providing a straightforward, efficient, and secure solution for student accommodation, tailored to every budget.
Traditionally, students encountered obstacles such as bureaucratic hurdles, extensive paperwork, and rigid requirements (like proof of income and local guarantors) while searching for accommodation. Uniplaces aims to eliminate these challenges from your housing search.
In case of unforeseen circumstances, such as a last-minute cancellation by the landlord, Uniplaces secures a similar accommodation with the same start date.
Upon securing accommodation, Uniplaces provides Accommodation Certificates, which can serve as supporting evidence for visa applications.
They guarantees reassurance, safety, and round-the-clock support at every stage of the process. If you encounter any issues with your property within 24 hours of moving in, they freeze your payment and offer assistance in resolving the problem or finding alternative accommodation
Discount collaboration: Thanks to our partnership with Uniplaces you can get a discount. Use the coupon code UPGOGOIT20 to receive a 20% discount on your booking fee.
HousingAnywhere
HousingAnywhere is a renowned rental platform operating globally, facilitating millions of users annually across 30 countries. Their search tool allows for tailored accommodation searches with alerts for suitable options.
With features such as direct messaging with landlords, verified profiles ensuring trustworthiness, and secure payment handling, HousingAnywhere streamlines the housing search process. Similar to Uniplaces, payments are securely held until 48 hours after move-in, providing safety, with assistance available if needed.
Other options
Idealista
With a wide range of listings and user-friendly features, it’s easy to search for apartments, houses, or commercial properties available for rent. Idealista provides a convenient platform for both temporary stays or long-term rental. However, be aware that certain listings may require a real agent fee, which could amount to a few months’ rent.
Erasmusu
With a focus on catering to the needs of the Erasmus community and international students, Erasmusu offers a wide range of housing options, including apartments, student residences, shared flats, and homestay.
One of the key features of Erasmusu is its user-friendly interface, which allows users to easily search and filter listings based on their preferences, such as location, budget, and housing type. Depending on the location it might be a more competitive housing market.
Bakeca.it
Bakeca.it offers a wide range of properties including apartments and houses, it provides comprehensive resources for renting. With its user-friendly interface, detailed listings, and search filters based on location, price, and property type. Additionally, it offers services such as job postings in the real estate sector, property auctions, and legal advice. However not all listings are certified, therefore extra attention is required.
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