Shared apartments, spare rooms and roommates in Bologna

The city's high demand for student accommodation, driven by its prestigious university, makes rent prices relatively high compared to other cities in Italy and Europe. As a result, many young internationals choose to live in shared apartments to split the rent and utility bills.

Advantages and disadvantages of sharing a flat in Bologna

Living in a shared apartment in Bologna has its pros and cons. Here we explain the most important ones.

Advantages of sharing a flat in Bologna

• Many shared flats are located in student neighbourhoods like the city centre, Porta San Vitale, and Santo Stefano.
• Sharing a flat significantly reduces the cost of rent (and sharing a room can save even more). This makes living in Bologna more affordable despite the generally high cost of living.
• If any of your roommates is Italian, you'll have a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the local culture and language!

Disadvantages of sharing a flat in Bologna

• There’s a lot of competition for spare rooms. Start your search as soon as possible and use the Erasmus Play housing search engine to simplify the process and secure your accommodation quickly.
• Shared rooms can sometimes accommodate more than two people, which leads to limited personal space.
• You’ll need to reach an agreement with your flatmates on heating usage during winter. In some cases, the heating schedule is set by the landlords and cannot be adjusted.

Erasmus Apps for your exchange programme in Bologna

There are several Erasmus+ apps that you can use to plan your mobility and manage procedures while in Bologna. One notable app is from the European Commission, which provides instructions for handling procedures, validating subjects, and accessing experiences and advice from past students in Bologna.

How to meet people in Bologna?

In addition to connecting with your flatmates, here are some options to meet people before or after arriving in the Italian city:

Student associations in Bologna

Two prominent student associations in Bologna are ESN Bologna and the IC (International Community) Erasmus Bologna. These associations help students integrate into the international community and offer various activities, events, and trips.

Facebook groups for Erasmus students in Bologna

The associations mentioned above usually have Facebook groups where they post information about upcoming activities and share photos from past events. You’ll also find groups for students who will be in Bologna during the same academic year, allowing you to connect with your peers in advance.

WhatsApp groups for Erasmus students in Bologna

Both student associations and students themselves create WhatsApp groups once they're in the city. These groups help you connect with other students and stay updated on city events.

Tips for living in a shared apartment in Bologna

Keep these tips in mind when choosing to share a flat in Bologna:

• Accommodations within the walls of the city tend to be more expensive than those outside it.
• Winters in Bologna are very cold and summers are quite hot. Try to find a flat that is well conditioned, especially with heating for the winter.
• Bologna’s excellent location makes it ideal for affordable travel within Italy and to nearby countries. Sharing a room or apartment can save you money, giving you a bigger budget for these trips.

Frequently Asked Questions about sharing a flat in Bologna