Apartment wanted
Rome, sweet home

By Alessandro Mirra
december 2008

Looking to rent in Rome? Nothing easier. There’s accommodation to suit all tastes. But not all pockets. All you need is money – lots of it. The Italian capital has long surpassed Milan as the city with the highest rent rates in the country. Obviously most tenants have to choose an apartment based on their budget – otherwise everyone would seek a home just a stone’s throw from the Trevi Fountain, around the corner from the Pantheon or with a splendid view over Piazza di Spagna. But how many people can afford, and are prepared to spend, the 2,500 euros a month required to rent a studio apartment near Via del Babuino? Only the (very) lucky few. Would you like something a little (or even a lot) cheaper? Just read on.

The first thing to do is to check the rental accommodation listings. The easiest solution would be to contact any of the dozens of rental agencies and let them take care of all the details, from fixing viewing appointments to bargaining over the monthly rent. The problem, of course, is that you have to pay the rental agency their fee. Their services usually don’t come cheap – and do not always provide the swiftest solution.
What kind of accommodation is most suited to someone coming to live in Rome for the first time?
It seems likely that three basic criteria will apply: you’ll probably be looking for a smallish apartment, you may well not have your own vehicle yet and you probably don’t have vast amounts of disposable income. So what you’ll need is fairly inexpensive accommodation that is well-connected to the public transport system. Here’s some advice which should prove useful:

1) It’s best to use a rental agency only if you’re looking for very special, exclusive accommodation – and are prepared to pay for it. There’s no shortage of agencies offering luxury apartments and houses.

2) For everyone else, tried and trusted do-it-yourself methods are more practical: check out the For Rent signs you’ll find on many streets and notice boards; try the want-ads in the twice-weekly newspaper Porta Portese (Tuesdays and Fridays) which is Rome’s oldest and biggest selling small-ad journal. Many, but not all, of the ads can also be found on the paper’s website: www.portaportese.it.

3) If you’re without private transport, forget the idea of looking for an apartment outside the GRA (Rome’s ring road). Prices are lower outside the Raccordo, but public transport linking outlying districts to the city centre is frequently disastrous.

4) Check out For Rent signs near metro stations. The underground service is far more reliable than the surface transport offered by buses and trams.
At this point, spread your search out along the A and B lines of the metro, avoiding the high-rent districts in Rome’s historic centre. Of central quarters only San Giovanni, Porta Maggiore and Esquilino may offer more affordable rents – and even here expect to pay at least 1,100 euros for a small apartment.

5) Along line B, the Tiburtino and Bologna districts should prove a good hunting ground, where monthly rents under 1,000 euros may still be found. Bargains may also be available in the formerly unfashionable districts of Garbatella and Ostiense, where you can still rent a studio apartment for as low as 850 euros/month. Prices are rising, however, as more and more students enrol at the nearby Roma Tre University.


Federico Fellini shot many scenes of La Dolce Vita in Tuscolano district

6) But the best prices are to be found in the Tuscolano district along line A. For example, 750 euros/month can still get you a studio apartment in the Don Bosco/Viale dei Consoli quarter. It’s true, these are unremittingly grey and anonymous working class districts. But it’s also true that here – not far from the Cinecittà film studios – is where Federico Fellini shot many of the scenes for his legendary classic La Dolce Vita. The residents are rightly proud. Who says you have to live in the centre to be part of Rome’s history?