More rooms become available when students leave town, which usually happens at the start of the summer holidays (July to early August). In mid-August, during the official holiday period (Ferragosto), expect slow replies from landlords and agencies. From September to November, demand is at its peak and good rooms go quickly. In January and February, some rooms open up again as students leave at the end of the first semester.

Most IMAT students only learn which university they've been admitted to once the rankings and scrolling move, so many of you are searching right now, in the busiest part of the year. That's fine if you plan for it:

• Start messaging listings as soon as you know your city. Don't wait until you arrive.
• Book a short stay first. Two to four weeks in a hostel, B&B or Airbnb gives you a base to view rooms in person and avoid signing anything blind.
• Keep a second-semester plan. If you can't find the right room now, more options appear in January and February.

Yes. Scams are common and come in many forms: fake listings, fake landlords, hidden fees and deposits that are never returned. Here's how to protect yourself:

• Student contract6–36 months

  (contratto per studenti universitari)

  lasts from 6 to 36 months and renews automatically once for the same period unless you give notice. It falls under the agreed-rent (canone concordato) system, so the rent must stay within the bands set by local agreements. It can only be used in a university town or a neighbouring municipality, and you prove you're studying away from home with your university enrolment certificate.

• Free-rent lease4 + 4 years

  (canone libero, 4+4)

  lasts 4 years and renews for another 4. The rent is freely agreed and can be updated each year for inflation if the contract includes an ISTAT clause.

• Agreed-rent lease3 + 2 years

  (canone concordato, 3+2)

  lasts 3 years with a 2-year extension. The rent follows the local agreement for the area, so it's usually lower than market rent. It can only change through an inflation (ISTAT) update, and only if the contract allows it.

• Taking over a leasethe leaving tenant's term

  (subentro)

  you take over the contract of a tenant who is leaving the room.

• Transitional contract1–18 months

  (contratto transitorio)

  lasts from 1 to 18 months and requires a real, documented temporary need. It's useful for short stays, such as a single semester. It ends automatically, so you don't need to send a formal notice when you leave. Like any rental longer than 30 days, it must be registered.

These are the main costs to budget for when you rent a room or an apartment:

• Rent for a single room: varies a lot by city. Average prices reported by Immobiliare.it in August 2026 were about €700 per month in Milan, €630 in Florence, €615 in Rome and €585 in Bologna. Smaller university cities are usually cheaper.
• Security deposit (refundable): usually 1 to 3 months' rent (3 months is the legal maximum).
• Agency fee: often 10–15% of the total annual rent plus 22% VAT, paid when you sign (only if you use an agency).
• Contract registration tax: usually split 50/50 between landlord and tenant. If the landlord uses the flat-rate tax regime (cedolare secca), you pay nothing.
• Utilities (monthly): electricity, gas, water, internet, cleaning and so on.
• Building fees (monthly): elevator, stair cleaning, rubbish collection and building lighting.

Note: some rooms are all-inclusive, meaning a fixed monthly price covers all bills, so you don't pay them separately.

1. 1Before signing

   • Passport or ID
   • Codice fiscale (Italian tax code)
   • University enrolment certificate

2. 2When signing

   • Rental contract setting out the length of stay, rent and house rules
   • Privacy consent form (GDPR) allowing your data to be processed

3. 3After signing

   • Contract registration receipt from the tax office (Agenzia delle Entrate), proving the contract is legally registered
   • Declaration of hospitality (dichiarazione di ospitalità / cessione di fabbricato), which the landlord files with the police and which non-EU students need for the permesso di soggiorno application

1. 1

   Join rental groups, search the websites above and request viewings.

2. 2

   View the room in person, send a trusted friend, or do a live video call.

3. 3

   If you like it, tell the owner or agency straight away. They may choose someone else if other people are interested.

4. 4

   Get your documents ready: passport or ID, codice fiscale and enrolment certificate. The owner or agency will then prepare the contract.

5. 5

   Read the contract carefully before signing.

6. 6

   Sign, pay the deposit by bank transfer and get a receipt.

7. 7

   Move in, photograph the room's condition, and make sure you receive a copy of the registered contract (the landlord must register it within 30 days).

8. 🔑

   keys!

• Affittorent
• Canonemonthly rent
• Stanza singolasingle room
• Stanza doppiadouble/shared room (two single beds)
• Posto lettoa bed in a shared double room
• Monolocalestudio apartment (one room with a small kitchen, plus a private bathroom)
• Bilocaleapartment with one separate bedroom, a kitchen/living area and a bathroom
• Trilocale / quadrilocaleapartments with three or four rooms
• Spese incluse / spese escluseutilities included / not included
• Spese condominialibuilding fees (elevator, stair cleaning, rubbish collection, building lighting)
• Bolletteutility bills (electricity, gas, water, internet)
• Deposito cauzionalesecurity deposit
• Proprietario / inquilinolandlord / tenant
• Disdettanotice to end the contract