Housing Tips

Finding an accommodation in Florence is not easy, but our tips will help you to find it! Just be patient

Important information

Always ASK for a contract, ask about the type of contract, about the caution and the notice
conditions
NEVER PAY anything before having visited the flat personally. There are several SCAMS on
the web which ask you to send payments or copy of your documents. DON´T do that
Personally VISIT the flat before signing the contract or paying anything. You could even go
with a friend. Sometimes the rooms are not how you imagine it
If you want to rent something BEFORE your arrival in Firenze (if you come with more friends, like 3 or 4 people) the best option is to contact an “AGENZIA IMMOBILIARE” and ask for “AFFITTI” (rents). In this way you can get an ALL house with rooms for all your friends, also if will be more expensive because you have to pay one or two extra month just for the agency
The other option if you want to rent something BEFORE your arrival is to contact a SERIOUS online platform
READ the contract before signing it, with the help of a mother tongue if possible
MEET and TALK to the landlord and to your flatmate/s. Living in a nice environment will make your whole experience abroad better.

Steps for getting an accommodation in Florence

Write a short letter about you mentioning:
- your general info (name, age, country of origin etc.)
- if you are a student or a worker (this is important because some accommodation are only for student)
- how long you are going to stay
- boroughs of Florence you would like to live in (see point 3)
- something about you
- language/s you speak
Go on the following website and get an account there:
Consider to visit Universities and look for the advertisement boards. Usually there are several ads about rooms to rent.

Choose the borough:

Before choosing the borough you are going to live in, which will help you to refine your accommodation research, keep in mind the following info:

how far is it from your University. Some Universities have classes in different boroughs, located far from the city center, such as Novoli, Morgagni, Careggi e Sesto Fiorentino
if you want to buy a bike or using the public transport (in this case look for an accommodation which is well connected)
how far is it from the city center and if it is easy to go back by night (we guess you want to party from time to time ;), but most of the clubs are in the city center so keep in mind that the public transport runs only until 23/24.

There are 2 lines of TRAMVIA that connect really well some areas:

One connect Scandicci- SMN Train station (city center) – Morgagni Università- Careggi Ospedale
The other one connect Unità (city center)- SMN train Station- Novoli università- Airport

Tramvia start about 5am and stops around midnight. In the weekend last till 2am.
If you can’t find an accommodation in the city center, look to live in a well connected aerea or an area where you can use a bike easily when you come back from the party in city center, drunk.

Average rent costs:

Single room with shared bathroom: 300-450 euro without bills
Shared room (two people staying in the same room): 250 – 350 euro each without bills. Studio: 600-700 euro without bills.

Usually rooms in Florence have furniture, but ask for it just to be sure.

Central areas:

San Lorenzo, Santa Maria Novella, Duomo, Sant’Ambrogio, Santo Spirito, Santa Croce.

Contract

After you visited and talked to your flatmates and landlord, it´s time to sign a regular contract. You might find people who offer you rent (which could be cheaper) without contract. This is ILLEGAL and we warn you to avoid it. If you have any problem you cannot get any help from the police or from your university because there is any proof of payment or any contract to proof you were renting the room. GET A REGULAR CONTRACT!

We suggest you to get a contract which is only require you to be responsible for your room (and include the use of the kitchen and so on). Sometimes you might find contracts which are for the whole flat, even though there are many flatmates living in there, but this contract is harder to handle since you are linked to the other flatmates too.

The damage fees could be asked a month or two in advance the first month of rent. Let´s say that if your rent is 300 euro per month, the landlord might ask you to pay 300 euro (the rent for the first month) + 300 and eventually 300 euro more for another month. The damages fees (caution conditions) MUST be regulated in the contract. If you don´t damage the room or the flat, you are going to get it back from your landlord at the end of your contract. The damages fee could be partly used to pay some bills that did not arrive yet by mail.

If you have got the room through the help of an Estate Agency (Agenzia immobiliare) you might pay an extra month to pay the agency fee. This extra month will NOT be refunded. This option is more
expensive. If your rent is 300 euro you are going to pay: 300 euro for the first month of rent + Caution (which might be one or two months and the landlord will give it back to you if you don´t damage anything) + Agency fees (NOT refundable).

You have to be aware that if you want to move out before the end of the contract, you MUST send an official notice within the time written in the contract. This time depends on the length of the contract. For example, if you have a contract for one year, the notice should be usually sent three months before your expected moving out date. If you do not respect this condition the landlord might not give you back the caution. So read carefully ALL the contract conditions!

The best option to pay your rent is through a monthly bank transfer. You will always get an official proof of payment.

Always read the contract before signing it and get a mother tongue´s help if possible.

We hope these tips has been helpful to you!