5 Ways to Find an Apartment at Bologna

Bologna, a red city in northern Italy, it is a place where the oldest university in Europe was founded on 1088 and still running until now. In academic year 2015/2016 there were about 84, 724 students enrolled at University of Bologna, 2, 625 of them are international students. Consider the mass amount of the students, housing in Bologna is a major issue for new student.

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In August – October is the season where the new students are in competition to find apartment. So, if you are an Erasmus exchange student, avoid that season to come to Bologna as the competition is high. It is very common on the advertising mentioned “No Matricola, No Erasmus” which means the landlord doesn’t want a new student at Bachelor degree nor Erasmus student because Erasmus student only stay no longer than 6 months.

Anyway, if your destiny leads you to Bologna as a new student or you arrive during August – September with no relatives, friends or boyfriend and still looking for a room, here are some places/ websites that might help you find a good apartment :

1. Bussola

Bussola can help you to find room and give you consultancy of the housing contract, however during the peak season do not expect thing will come to you as you expected as every new student will go to Bussola looking for housing.

2. Airbnb

Airbnb is one of solution over housing problem. Despite in peak season the price is rocketing to the mars, but many of my friends using airbnb, My suggestion is, book the airbnb longer like one or two months as you might not get a room in a week. Even some of my friends just move from one airbnb to another airbnb every month during program study.

3. HousingAnywhere

This is one of the website that I used to find a room. It did not work for me but at least some landlords replied my email and allow me to check the apartment. I did not take the apartment because of the price and the location.

4. Join Facebook Group like “Bologna in Affitto” and “Affittasi! Offro/cerco casa a BOLOGNA”

I found room from this Facebook group. As the competition is high during the peak season, make sure you write your email in Italian and contact the landlord immediately via whats app / direct call.

5. Property Agent

I never tried this before because I don’t want to pay agency fee ha ha ha, some of my friend got room from agents, so yeah it works as long as you have money. Here are the list of the property agents :

• Abitare Bologna, Via Santo Stefano 35, Bologna

• Technorete, Via Castiglione 68

• Cio, Viale XII Giungo 26

• Bologna Centro, Via Santo Stefano 38

• De Mattia Immobiliare, Galleria Ugo Bassi 1

Don’t give up, it takes time to find a good place with a good price and good landlord in Bologna. So never stop, I was homeless for about a month. Fortunately, I could sleep at my friend’s apartment. Some of my friends must sneak to stay at other’s friend room and took shower early morning at school. Even my roommate told me that in the first week she came to Bologna she stayed at train station, Geez!.

Finding a place is hard in Bologna especially if you have limited budget and can not speak Italian. But don’t worry just calm and promote yourself as a clean, neat and quiet person to the landlord. Write your email or send whats app message in Italian using google translate or ask help from Italian friend then you will get a chance to have good place.

Good Luck!

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