Among the students of the Italian universities, many are the ones that decide or have to move to the city of the university they have chosen, but finding an accommodation in an Italian university city is not always easy. First of all the university lodgings are not sufficient to meet the large demand of nonresistant students, who often have to make an effort and find an alternative solution, renting a flat.
The difficulties that students face when searching for an accommodation in the main Italian cities are various, from too high costs for the limited budget to shabby buildings and an offer that cannot always meet the demand, especially in some times of the year. Moreover, many student homes and flats are rented by the owners under the table, without a regular contract, which might have some consequences on the guarantee of the rents. But the factor that most worries students and their families is the price of the flats, which exceeds the maximum amount of money that people can afford. The most expensive university cities in Italy are Rome and Venice: for a 40-60 m2 flat you can spend up to 870 euro per month in Rome and 800 euro in Venice, and the costs are not very different in other Italian cities, like Milan and Florence. No wonder that many families, or at least those who can afford it, prefer to make a long-term investment and buy a house, which can be used while their children go to the university and perhaps even later on. However, the most popular alternative is sharing an apartment, or sometimes a room, with other students, better if they are friends or classmates. In the university cities there are special contracts especially conceived for the students who go to the university or attend further training and specialization courses.
Among the students that decide to rent an apartment or a room there are some common trends: first of all, the time of the year with the highest request is September-October – when courses begin – especially as far as first-year students are concerned. The other students, who have already experienced the university life and the world of rents, look for a flat before, in July, while new students often wait for the beginning of the lessons to search an accommodation, especially if they have to take an admission test and do not know what their destiny will be. The most sought-after lodgings are near the university or in areas that are well-served by public transportation (only a few students have a car), and students have recently started preferring single to shared rooms.
Moreover, student pay more and more attention to the quality of the building and furniture, also due to the fact that they usually prefer furnished flats, and often choose flats with central heating and condo fees included in the rent: their intention, indeed, is sparing as much as possible, which is not always as simple as that.
Martin Wynn
