Housing

Students have the option of securing housing independently or through the School in Italy. In either case, students are responsible for paying for their housing and following the rules established by the housing proprietor or the School in Italy. 

Undergraduate students MUST live with Italian speakers and may live with a maximum of one other student from the program. Students may not live solely with other international students or on their own unless no other form of integrated housing is available, and then only with prior approval from the director of the School in Italy.

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The housing policies apply to all undergraduate students regardless of whether they have found accommodations independently or with the School in Italy program. Failure to adhere to the housing policies will result in you being required to change your residence, which may result in loss of rental deposits or payments.

Graduate students: While it is not required that you abide by the housing policy listed above, it is still strongly recommended as way to maximize your linguistic and cultural immersion.

Housing Preselection

All students must complete the Housing Questionnaire in the online application portal.

The housing questionnaire will help the School in Italy to match students with a suitable accommodation. Once the questionnaire has been received, the housing coordinator will email students who have requested to find their housing through the School in Italy with their assignment. The housing assignment is binding and you should not expect to change your accommodation once you arrive in Italy.

Unless a significant issue arises that cannot be resolved within reasonable means, students are expected to live in their assigned housing for the duration of the program. Any concerns regarding housing placements should be brought to the attention of one of the program staff members in a timely manner.  If it is decided that it is best for the student to move, students must notify the housing proprietor at least one month in advance of their departure date, and pay for that month.  Students needing to leave their assigned housing on short notice will still be required to pay for a final month of housing, even if circumstances do not make it possible for them to give a full month’s notice of their departure. 

Please note: Due to the relatively limited number of housing assignments available during a given semester, the School in Italy will only be able to facilitate one change during the semester.  If after changing once a student wishes to change again, absent any vital risks to the student’s well-being, the student will be responsible for arranging their own accommodations, still abiding by the program’s housing policies (e.g., not living alone, living with Italian-speakers, living in areas approved by the program based on safety, etc.) as well as the policies regarding giving notice of leave to the current housing proprietor. 

Students should understand that while every effort will be made to accommodate their requests, it is not always possible to grant everyone’s first choice. We encourage you to keep an open mind in terms of your housing, as with all other aspects of the experience, and make an effort to integrate into your housing arrangement. 

Keep in mind that the university in Florence does not have a central campus like U.S. colleges and universities do, so housing may be a considerable distance from both the Middlebury Sede and/or the university buildings where you will be taking your courses.

General Information About Accommodations

Shared apartment: Most apartments are shared with other Italians: Either with families (professionals or retired) or university students (when available).  In a shared apartment, you will be sharing the common areas: Kitchen, living room, bathroom, etc.  You are responsible for buying food and preparing your own meals.

Homestays: In a homestay, you will have mezza pensione (half-board).  Breakfast and dinner are prepared for you, usually breakfast 7 days per week and dinner 5 days per week. In this situation, meals not included in the mezza pensione need to be taken outside of the home.  Unless otherwise agreed upon with the family, the kitchen is not to be used.  However, you might have use of the refrigerator to store some items. 

Cleaning products: When sharing an apartment, you will be responsible for cleaning your room and common areas, unless otherwise specified. Usually tenants agree on a cleaning schedule that everybody should respect. If you do not keep your room and common areas clean and tidy, you might be asked to pay for extra cleaning. The use of cleaning products is usually not included in the rent; cleaning products must be purchased separately. The mezza pensione (half-board) homestay option includes a weekly room cleaning, unless otherwise indicated.

Laundry: In Italy, houses are not usually equipped with dryers, so you should plan to hang your clothes on drying racks or go to a laundromat with dryers.

Guests: You will not be permitted to have visitors to your apartment, residence hall, or homestay, either day or overnight guests. This rule must be respected otherwise you risk being evicted at your own expense.

Breakfast: A typical Italian breakfast is usually light and sweet, and is comprised of either an espresso, cappuccino, or caffè latte (coffee and milk) with a “brioche” (sweet pastry), cookies, or toasted bread with jam.

In Italy, the largest meal of the day tends to be dinner.

Deposits (Residence Hall Only)

Expect to pay a non-refundable security deposit equivalent to up to three month’s rent in advance to reserve the residence.

The deposit will be kept until you leave as security against any damages incurred. When applicable, the deposit will be returned within one month of your departure.

Paying for Housing

Middlebury will bill students for the cost of their room prior to the beginning of the semester. Room costs cannot be prorated if you leave before the end of the month. Please consult the Dates and Fees page for the Middlebury School in Italy for information on room fees: https://www.middlebury.edu/schools-abroad/schools/italy/dates-fees

Housing Options

There are generally three types of housing arrangements in Italy: 1) homestays, 2) shared apartments, or 3) private student residence halls. Options are subject to availability and not all options may be available every semester.  Please be aware that not all housing arrangements will allow for individual doors to be locked.

(1) Homestays

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There is no doubt that living in an Italian home can be a rewarding experience for a study abroad student who is willing to adapt to a different culture and lifestyle. The use of Italian in the home and contact with Italians in their daily routine are among the advantages of this experience. Nevertheless, you must be aware that integration into the Italian home is gradual and that many things taken for granted in our own homes are often viewed from a different perspective in an Italian household. Meals are a way to become part of the household and have a more active participation in the Italian way of life. Dinner with the host family becomes the time to enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and to better familiarize yourself with the Italian way of life and improve your Italian language skills.

Although living with an Italian host may sound ideal, it is important to consider the following:
• privacy may be relatively limited;
• while a homestay may involve cultural exchange, it is also a business agreement in which each party has particular rules by which to abide;
• it is unlikely that a host will allow you to have friends or guests over;
• utilities in Italy are costly; guests (even paying guests) should be careful to turn lights off when leaving a room, keep showers short, and minimize hot water use. In case of excessive bills, you maybe required to pay extra charges;
• kitchen privileges are typically only granted in accommodations that include kitchen use;
• if you commit to a homestay, you are financially obligated to pay for the period you have agreed upon.  Breaking a written agreement will jeopardize future students’ ability to stay with these hosts. The School in Italy has developed special relationships with these families, who trust that our students will be responsible for fulfilling their obligations.

(2) Shared Apartments

If you share an apartment with Italian-speakers, you will be immersed in the language. However, it might be difficult to find an accommodation with Italian students as most of these apartments are often not centrally located and may be of different standards.  Moreover, most Florentine students still live with their families, and those from other towns and cities often arrange to live together far in advance. It is not always easy for international students to break into Italian social circles and find housing with those students who do live in apartments.  Academic year students usually have a better chance of finding Italian students as roommates.

For most, obtaining and maintaining an apartment are experiences you have not had before. It requires an initiative that, in most cases, has up to now been the responsibility of your parents, guardians, or college housing officials. Utilities are usually included in the rent. Certain house repairs (appliance malfunctions, light bulbs, etc.) are expected to be paid for by the tenant. Students are advised to obtain in writing what responsibilities they have for making repairs to major appliances.

Tenants must conform to anti-terrorism laws by informing the proprietor immediately of the number of people actually living in the apartment (this includes friends and relatives staying for more than 24 hours).

(3) Residence Halls

There are often a limited number of rooms available in privately-run residence halls for students enrolled in the School in Italy. Students will be notified of availability during the housing pre-selection period.

Finding Housing Independently

If you choose to find your housing independently, we suggest you arrive early and have a lot of patience. The School in Italy can provide you with general information on how to go about finding your own housing in your city It is not recommended that you wait until you arrive in Italy to arrange your own housing.

The Sede offices are closed during the months of August and late December/early January, therefore staff will not be available to aid students in their search during those periods. 

Before choosing any housing option, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure compliance with Middlebury’s Housing Policy as outlined above and to READ ALL CONTRACTS CAREFULLY AND UNDERSTAND THE TERMS, CONDITIONS, AND “FINE PRINT”. Middlebury does not have any authority to make agreements concerning lodging with Italian hosts and/or proprietors; however, students should not hesitate to ask for assistance if something is unclear.

Resources for Finding Housing

Students may locate housing in Florence through:

• The School in Italy program
• Internet sites and Facebook university groups (This is the method most Italian university students adopt in order to find lodging. Students who are seeking roommates will post announcements stating the type of accommodation that is available, the price, and the location.)
• Bulletin boards at various faculties

For a list of ads for single and double rooms for students, check websites such as:

Real Estate Agencies

There are real estate agencies you can hire to assist you in finding apartments in Florence. If you choose to use an agency:
• Find out the agency’s commission (typically 7% of the total monthly rent or more)
• Read and understand the contract provided by the agency and the contract for the apartment. If you have any questions, bring them to the School in Italy staff before signing
• Make sure you understand the policy regarding the deposits
• Inquire as to exactly what services are offered by the agency, which may act as a sort of intermediary between the client (you) and the proprietor.

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