Contents
Law checked on 28 September 2026. Next yearly change to watch: the DSU residence calls, published with each region's DSU scholarship notice.
Previous step: health insurance and the SSN. Back to the first 60 days checklist.
- International students in Italy live in four kinds of housing: DSU residences run by regional student-support bodies, private student residences, rooms in shared flats, and studio flats.
- DSU residences are the cheapest, but places are allocated through the same regional calls as the DSU scholarship, with the same deadlines.
- A lease longer than 30 days must be registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate within 30 days of signing, or of its start date if earlier (Presidential Decree 131/1986, art. 17). An unregistered lease is void (Law 311/2004, art. 1, paragraph 346).
- The student contract (contratto per studenti universitari) runs from 6 to 36 months (Law 431/1998, art. 5), and a deposit cannot exceed three months' rent (Law 392/1978, art. 11).
- ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, gives eligible students a shortlist of first-week housing before they fly and longer-term housing leads after arrival.
Where do international students live in Italy?
Italy has no single student housing system. Places are run by regional DSU bodies, universities, private companies and individual landlords, which gives you choice but means you compare offers yourself. Renting a room in a shared flat is the most common choice, and DSU residences are the cheapest for students who qualify.
| Type | Who runs it | How you get a place | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DSU residence (residenza universitaria) | The regional right-to-study (DSU) body | A regional call, usually with the DSU scholarship application, ranked on family income and merit | Students who qualify for DSU and apply on time |
| Private student residence | A private operator | Online booking from abroad, often with utilities and internet included | Students who want to book before arrival and pay more for it |
| Room in a shared flat (stanza in affitto) | An individual landlord or agency | A lease, often individual, so you answer only for your own room | Most students: the balance of cost, location and flexibility |
| Studio flat (monolocale) | An individual landlord or agency | A lease for the whole flat | Students with a larger budget who want privacy |
How do DSU residences work, and who can get one?
DSU residences belong to the regional bodies that also pay the DSU scholarship, and each body publishes its own call with its own rules and dates. Places are limited and ranked, largely on the same family-income (ISEE) and merit criteria as the scholarship, so the student who applies for DSU on time is the one in line for a residence place. Our pages on DSU deadlines by region and on each body, such as Emilia-Romagna, Lazio and Tuscany, set out the dates. For eligible students, we handle the DSU application and flag the residence call with it.
Which lease fits a student in Italy?
Italian law offers several residential leases, and the student contract exists for exactly this case. Whatever the type, a lease longer than 30 days is registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate.
| Contract | Length | Who it suits | Law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student contract (contratto per studenti universitari) | 6 to 36 months | University students studying away from home | Law 431/1998, art. 5 |
| Transitory contract (contratto transitorio) | Up to 18 months | A short, documented temporary need | Law 431/1998, art. 5 |
| Agreed-rent contract (canone concordato) | 3 years plus 2 | Longer stays at a rent set by local agreements | Law 431/1998, art. 2 |
| Free-market contract | 4 years plus 4 | Rarely a fit for a degree of two or three years | Law 431/1998, art. 2 |
Does a rental contract have to be registered in Italy?
Yes. A lease longer than 30 days must be registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate within 30 days of signing, or of its start date if that comes first (Presidential Decree 131/1986, art. 17). The Agenzia delle Entrate's leaflet for foreign students sets out the same 30-day rule. The consequence of skipping it is serious: under Law 311/2004 (art. 1, paragraph 346), a lease that should have been registered and was not is void. An unregistered lease gives you no enforceable contract, no proof of address for your paperwork and little ground to recover a deposit. Ask the landlord for the registration receipt, and keep a copy with your permit papers.
How much deposit can a landlord ask?
Up to three months' rent. Law 392/1978 (art. 11) caps the security deposit at three months and entitles the tenant to interest on it. Budget as well for utilities, internet and building charges (spese condominiali) where the rent does not include them, and read which ones the contract lists.
What documents do you need to rent a room in Italy?
- Your passport with the study visa, or your residence permit once you have it.
- Your codice fiscale, which the Agenzia delle Entrate needs to register the lease. Our codice fiscale guide shows how to get it before or after you arrive.
- Proof of enrolment, such as the admission letter or enrolment certificate.
- Some private landlords also ask for bank statements, a guarantor or a larger deposit, within the legal cap.
Should you find housing before or after arriving in Italy?
Both work, with different trade-offs. Booking before arrival through a private residence or a university housing office is convenient, but you cannot inspect the room. Arriving first means a short stay in temporary accommodation while you visit rooms and neighbourhoods in person. The eight working day deadline for the residence permit falls in that first week either way, and the permit form needs an Italian address, so have a first-week address confirmed before you fly. Our arrival checklist puts housing in order with the permit, tax code and health cover.
Which housing scams target students in Italy?
- Payment before a contract. A deposit or booking fee requested by transfer before you have a written lease or have seen the room.
- Prices well below the area. A central room at half the going rate, often with photos copied from other listings.
- No meeting, no documents. A landlord who is always abroad, will not show identification or will not name the owner.
- A lease that is never registered. Under Law 311/2004 it is void, and it gives you no protection.
The rule is simple: pay only against a written lease, and only to the person or company named on it.
Reality check
What we handle: for eligible students, a shortlist of first-week housing before departure and longer-term housing leads after arrival, as set out below.
What we do not control: landlords and residence operators decide who they rent to, and regional DSU bodies allocate residence places by ranking. ApplyAZ is not a law firm or an estate agent; a lawyer or the Agenzia delle Entrate decides questions on a specific lease.
What costs students the most:
- Paying a deposit to a listing that is not real.
- Missing the DSU residence call because it closed with the scholarship application.
- Living on an unregistered lease, then having no proof of address and no claim on the deposit.
How ApplyAZ helps
Before you fly: a shortlist of first-week housing, a pre-departure orientation for your university city, and an arrival checklist (airport to housing, local SIM, banking basics). On arrival: a point of contact for your first days. Optional after arrival: longer-term housing leads, support filing the residence permit, help registering for the tax code, and setting up the health card and student insurance.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should international students look for accommodation in Italy?
As soon as you have your admission and have filed your DSU application, because DSU residence calls close with the scholarship application in each region. For private rooms, have a first-week address confirmed before you fly, since the residence permit form asks for one.
What is the cheapest type of student housing in Italy?
DSU residences, run by the regional right-to-study bodies. Places are limited and ranked on family income and merit, largely as for the DSU scholarship, so they go to students who qualify and apply on time. For everyone else, a room in a shared flat is usually the next cheapest.
Is it safe to book student accommodation in Italy online before arriving?
Yes, with a known private residence, your university's housing office or an established platform. Never pay a deposit by transfer before you have a written lease naming the landlord, and never to a listing that refuses a video viewing or identification.
Do I need a codice fiscale to rent an apartment in Italy?
Yes, in practice. The lease is registered with the Agenzia delle Entrate under the parties' tax codes. You can get the code at any Agenzia delle Entrate office on form AA4/8 with your passport, or from the Questura during the residence permit application.
What happens if my rental contract is not registered in Italy?
Under Law 311/2004 (art. 1, paragraph 346), a lease that should have been registered and was not is void. You would have no enforceable contract, no proof of address and little ground to recover your deposit, so ask for the registration receipt.
How much deposit can a landlord ask for in Italy?
Up to three months' rent, under Law 392/1978 (art. 11), and the deposit earns interest for the tenant.
Your next step: check your eligibility first. It takes about two minutes. If you are eligible, you book a one to one consultation with one of our Italy experts, and from there we take care of everything.
Sources
- Law 431/1998 on residential leases, arts. 2 and 5 (Normattiva)
- Presidential Decree 131/1986 on registration tax, art. 17 (Normattiva)
- Law 311/2004, art. 1, paragraph 346, unregistered leases (Normattiva)
- Law 392/1978, art. 11, security deposit (Normattiva)
- Agenzia delle Entrate: leaflet for foreign students on the tax code and lease registration, University of Trieste (PDF)
- Agenzia delle Entrate: lease registration and office finder
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs: codice fiscale for foreign nationals and students
- Poste Italiane: residence permit applications, deadline and Italian address
- Law checked on 28 September 2026
- Written by İrem Yılmaz, Student Experience Lead. Reviewed by Reeya Sharma.
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