AUR > Offices & Resources > Housing > Tips for apartment living in Rome

What can you expect to find in the
Roman Apartment/Condominium?
Each apartment is equipped with basic Italian-style furnishings and supplies, including single beds, bed linens and towels, a closet/clothing storage space, typical Italian cookware and tableware, a table and chairs and a furnished sitting area. Desks, when available, are to be shared by all occupants. Each student is expected to provide his/her own paper and cleaning products as well as replace light bulbs. Most apartment units are provided with a washing machine.

It is anticipated most apartments will be equipped with a personal computer (PC) and have unlimited, no additional cost access the Internet. A landline phone will be provided which will provide unlimited calls to landlines with Italy. Calls to cellular phones and calls outside of Italy incur additional cost and can be effected with the use of a calling card. Unlimited incoming calls may be received without incurring any additional cost. In the event a particular unit is not equipped with internet/phone line, a cellular phone will be provided and a partial refund made. Computer and phone are shared among unit residents.

Not all apartments are the same
In Rome, not all apartments are created equal. Although the apartments vary in location, style and size, all of them provide the essentials. Please try to understand this fact and accept it as part of your experience in Rome. Do not immediately compare your apartment with those of other students.

Heating and air conditioning
The heat in the apartments generally operates from 6—9 a.m. and then again in the evening from 6—10 p.m. This means that the hours in between heating are what you could call “Roman room temperature”, which is slightly warmer than the temperature outside. By Roman ordinance, heating systems are turned on by November 15 and turned off on March 15 every year.

Apartments are not provided with air conditioning; instead, keep cool the Italian way – during the day, Italians traditionally keep their shutters and serande closed against the heat of the sun. In order to cool the apartment you might also consider buying a fan.

Electric power
All the apartments in Rome operate with a 3 Kilowatt fuse box. This means that an overload of power will leave you in the dark. You should be careful when using American appliances with an adapter; that usually puts an extra load on the power supply. Also be careful of using many appliances simultaneously: the water heater, and another appliance (i.e., hair dryer, washing machine) will blow the fuse!! Should this happen, your power will be cut off – turn off any electrical appliance and light fixture you don’t truly need at the moment and check your fuse box to flip your apartment switch back on.

Hot water
Almost all Roman apartments are furnished with a water heating tank located either in the bathroom or the balcony. In the tank, there is generally enough hot water to last for one long shower. With roommates, however, that one shower must be divided into three or four short, but effective showers. Please expect about ten to fifteen minutes of hot water at a time allowing at least a couple of hours to replenish the supply.

Emergencies and Regular Maintenance
University assisted housing has managers who are available during normal office hours which you will find posted where you live. Also listed are emergency contact numbers for times outside office hours. Please call these numbers only in the case of a true emergency. For routine matters call your housing manager during the posted office hours.

Washing Machines
You will immediately note a difference between American and European washing machines: the latter are “front loading”, i.e. there is no top lid but instead a front door. Because water can spill out and potentially cause damage, these front doors have a special timed lock and will not open when cycles are actively running. DO NOT force your washing machine open. (NB: Not all university facilitated housing comes with a washing machine.)

Keys
Lost keys are your responsibility. The University does not have copies of keys; therefore in case of a lockout, contact your roommate. For a replacement set, contact the agency during their office hours. If you think changing the locks might be necessary, ask the agency to order a lock smith.

Leaving the apartment
You are to leave the apartments generally Monday after last day of final exams. The university cannot arrange to extend your lease or make arrangements to store your luggage after the lease expires. However, Student Services is happy to suggest available luggage storage or shipping services.

Respect your neighbor
Please be considerate of those living with and around you. Even though your walls may be between 5 and 20 inches thick, you can still hear most of what your neighbor is doing or saying, and vice versa. Most of your neighbors are normal Italian citizens with families and full-time jobs and they actually need 7-8 hours of sleep every night. By law, silence is requested between 9:30 or 10:00 pm and 8:00 am, and again between 12:30 or 1:00 pm and 3:30 or 4:00 pm; please respect this law by keeping noise to minimum. Because most floors are made of marble or ceramic and hence do not buffer the sounds coming from your apartment, wear slippers or soft sole shoes rather than hard sole or high heels. Also, most elevator doors in Italy are not electronic and have to be closed manually. Please remember to close them carefully every time you use the elevator; when you forget to do so, it can impact other residents for whom elevator unavailability is more than a mere inconvenience: the handicapped, elderly, mothers with infants and toddlers, as well as just about anyone with their shopping. For your own safety as well as that of others, be sure to respect the weight limits posted within the elevators (1 kilo is 2.2 pounds).

Legalities
Illegal drugs are ILLEGAL. As a foreign student, you should be aware that the laws are different and search warrants are not necessary for drugs in Italy. In Italy, the police can require you to identify yourself. Therefore, it is essential that you carry a photocopy of your passport with you at all times. In extreme cases, the police can arrest an unidentified person until that person is positively identified.

Many of the housing rules are set in an effort to ensure student safety. In addition to the housing rules, please bear the following in mind:

In your apartment, keep your shutters and serrande closed at night and whenever you’re not home. Always speak to any person who has buzzed your apartment through the intercom system to make sure you know who it is before you buzz them into your building – never buzz in or hold the door open for someone you don’t know. If they have an honest reason for being there, there should be someone there to allow them in. Crimes in Italy are generally petty crimes of opportunity – just don’t leave that opportunity open!

Do not invite mere acquaintences into your apartment -- Italians socialize in public places and no one expects you to invite them in. All students -- but in particular females -- should be aware of the social and potentially legal implications of inviting guests into their homes.

Where do I buy stuff?
General grocery stores are called alimentary and offer everything from vegetables to pasta. There are a few big chain supermarkets, Standa, SMA, Margherita and Todis that you can find also in the Monterverde and Trastevere area. You can get quality fruit and vegetables in the open air markets at Via del Vascello, Piazza San Giovanni di Dio and Campo dei Fiori. There you can also find household goods, as well as does UPIM. Tabacchi (T) is the place to buy stamps, bus tickets and phone cards. TuttoCitta' has an excellent website www.tuttocitta.it/tc/home.jsp where you can find the shops closest to your apartment address. Simply type in the city "Roma" and your address, and click on "Fare la spesa" to get a map and listing of local shops.

Shopping hours
Italian business hours often differ from the 9 am to 5 pm US standard. Most shops are open from 9:30 am to 1 pm, close down for “siesta” and open again from 4 pm to 7 pm. There are also Monday morning and Wednesday/Thursday afternoon closures for some businesses. Working hours vary for each business and you should inquire about the specific schedule for any location of interest.

Banking
Opening an Italian bank account requires a valid stay permit and a fiscal code, but usually also quite some time and high operating costs. The university does not recommend that study-abroad students open an Italian bank account. Instead, we highly recommend that you use the safest and most efficient method of accessing money in Italy: ATM (Bancomat) cards. Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards are widely accepted and offer the best exchange rates. You should check with your bank to ensure that your ATM card is authorized for international use. The American Express in Piazza di Spagna exchanges cash traveler’s checks without a charge.

Transportation
The easiest and most commonly used form of transportation is the bus. There are also trams and a two-line metro system in Rome. Bus stops, departure schedules and route information are found on well-marked signs throughout the city. Orange, blue or green ATAC city buses and tram lines run from about 5am to about midnight.

Bus tickets are sold at tabacchi stores, newsstands and many coffee bars. There are 75-minutes tickets, 3-day, weekly and monthly tickets. You must validate all the bus tickets (except for monthly pass) in the yellow boxes when boarding the first vehicle and again after each transfer. The monthly bus passes for students (16 euro) are only for Italian students residents in Rome. Do not buy the student bus pass.

Moderation
One of the most fundamental rules of Italian culture is moderation. Italians may seem to drink a lot, but upon closer look, it is quite the opposite. Italian wine is a wonderful thing...in moderation. The quickest way to lose the respect of your Italian friends and neighbors is to get drunk in public.

Common Rules of Italian Housing Etiquette
Because of the architecture and design of Italian buildings (marble and ceramic surfaces, pipes that pass through the whole building, no wall to wall carpeting, no forced central air creating white noise), noise passes easily between walls and floors, most especially during late night. It is no coincidence that Italian laws set "quiet hours". The following list of common rules of Italian etiquette is based on behaviors Italian neighbors have learned to avoid in order to live happily and peacefully under a common roof and common walls. As Italian apartments are so completely different from what most students are familiar with, your AUR student housing unit can quickly provide you with your first experience of Italian culture shock; the following should help you make an easier transition. These expectations from your neighbors are in line with everyday Italian good manners, so do not be alarmed or offended. You will be living alongside normal Italian families with children, the elderly and the employed - people who have normal daily lives to live and jobs & schools to get to – again, people whose weekends do not begin until after Friday or even Saturday afternoon.

The Italian pace
In Italy, patience is truly a virtue. Take a restaurant, for instance. Italian waiters may seem to be ignoring you, but in reality, they just like to give customers time and space to talk and socialize. The slower pace and long waits also apply to many public offices and events. Lines in offices are often long and service is not very efficient compared to e.g. U.S. standards. Offices do not always open on time and events do not start promptly.

Italians do not like to stress over things, but rather tend to relax and enjoy life to the fullest with a slower pace. And since you are a foreigner in Italy, try to make an effort to adapt to this culture.

Safety tips
Italy has a low rate of violent crime, little of which is directed toward tourists. However, some travelers have been victims of crime.

When going to nightclubs or bars in areas where crowds of people gather outdoors, you should be careful.
Petty crimes such as pick pocketing, theft from parked cars, and purse snatching are serious problems, especially in large cities.
Avoid walking on your own during night time, especially in parks or small sideways.
Do not leave your personal belongings or drinks unattended or with strangers at any time.
Be especially aware of your belongings in crowded places like public transportation and on night trains.
Always carry your cell phone and a phone card with you.
Always leave your travel plans with someone and while traveling, keep your money and documents in two different places.
In your apartment, keep your shutters and serrande closed at night and whenever you’re not home. Always speak to any person who has buzzed your apartment through the intercom system to make sure you know who it is before you buzz them into your building – never buzz in someone you don’t know. Crimes in Italy are generally petty crimes of opportunity – just don’t leave that opportunity open!
Do not invite people you barely know into your apartment – Italians socialize in public places and no one expects you to invite them in.

The information about living in Rome contained in the Student Handbook can also be found within our website www.aur.edu. In addition, we have found the following sites very helpful:

Provides a wealth of information about living in and traveling through Italy, including detailed instructions for daily living, supported by photographs. Covers a broad spectrum, from food shopping to operating washing machines, from making espresso, to catching a taxi, from using any kind of phone to going to the beach. Photographs help prepare you for the unexpected. Definitely worth visiting and revisiting.

Provides door to door public transportation instructions within the city of Rome, with maps. Click on the British flag for English version.

Provides maps of the city of Rome, as well as door to door instructions for driving or walking. In Italian.