PROGETTO CASA ("Home Project") is one of the most important activities we do in ESN Roma. It's a team of voluntary students (ex-Erasmus) who work just to help Erasmus students to find an house in Rome.

We collect and select many ads of people who want to rent a room in Rome to Erasmus students (usually because they want to rent just for brief periods) and make them accessible JUST TO ERASMUS STUDENTS who have registered and have been approved in our office.

Usually the first concern should be to find a good room in Rome as soon as possible.

Thanks,

ESN Roma ASE, Wt-Progetto Casa

If you are still in your country it would always be pretty difficult to find a room from there since you can't see the house you are supposed to stay in for a year and you might have some bad surprise when you see it. Remember that is always easy to find many good available rooms in july (or august) than in september (or October) when there's a crazy, menthal "war" with thousand of people desperately looking for a room.

Be aware since there are people who rent a room who try to trick foreign students putting the rent higher. 

Make sure there's some Night Bus line in the area you're gonna live cause you you would really need them when for example you are coming back after a crazy Roman party night!

If need a place to stay while you are looking for a flat you could check some hostels.

There are many cheap hostels around the Termini station area (even if their quality often is not good, but be optimistic!).

Check these good hostels:

• Hostels Alessandro (Castro Pretorio/Termini). They are 2 good hostels, Alessandro Palace (Castro Pretorio, on the right side of Termini station, which remember is nicer than the left side of the station) and Alessandro Downtown (near via Giolitti, on the left side of Termini station, that is in fact the "worst" side of the station) both in Termini area. http://www.hostelsalessandro.com
• Yellow Hostel (Castro Pretorio). The price is a bit higher than others but is very nice and funny. www.yellowhostel.com 
• The Beehive (Castro Pretorio). Stylish and cheap. www.the-beehive.com 

Another option would be to check some hospitality websites like www.couchsurfing.com or www.hospitalityclub.org where you can find people giving you a place to sleep for free.

WHEN

As said before it's strongly suggested to come in Rome as soon as you can, possibly in the summer (June, July or August) when all the students use to leave their old rooms to find a new one in September.

To find a room in September is not impossible but for sure it's going to be much more stressful and chaotic, since thousands of students are in a desperate search for ANY kind of accomodation.

HOW

First thing you should try is to check our PROGETTO CASA page on this website that is our work (as volunteers!) to help Erasmus students to find an house in Rome. Remember that since is just available for Erasmus students, if you want to see it you need to be registered in our association (that means to come in our office at Sapienza university) and then we will unblock your account on our website. We have many announcements of people who wants to rent a room just to Erasmus students (most of the times because they don't want to rent a room for more than an year). If you are still in your country probably you have received from the Internation Relationship Office of Sapienza university a "common account" with a specified username and password to let you access anyway to the PROGETTO CASA page. If not just send an email to Questo indirizzo e-mail è protetto dallo spam bot. Abilita Javascript per vederlo. with your Name, Surname, Country and University in your country.

Then another good way would be to go every day at the Sapienza university campus and check constantly the people who put ads to rent a house up on the boards, usually they are students like you who are looking for a housemate, so talk with them and make an appointment to see the house.

In the meanwhile check every Tuesday and Friday the most famous ads newspaper called "PORTAPORTESE" where you can find hundreds of ads.

Be sure to buy it early in the morning cause that's what all the students do to be the first people to "catch" the house, if you're late it's likely that when you'll call the ads' contacts they will tell you the room is already taken.

Then check these ads websites:

• www.easystanza.it (rate: 8/10)
• www.bakeca.it (rate: 7/10)
• www.wantedinrome.com(in english, rate: 6/10)
• www.portaportese.it (rate: 6/10)
  
• www.affitto.it (rate: 6/10)
  
• www.affittistudenti.it (rate: 6/10)
• www.affittaroma.it (old ads, rate: 6/10)

For long term room swap check these websites:

• www.smilexchange.eu
  
• www.casaswap.com

WHERE

Here is a table that shows with prices and rates (in decimals) the different characteristics of the various zones of Rome closest to Sapienza University. Remember that you probably would enjoy more to live in an average student area than just a pretty one! 

Here is a brief description of all the most popular student areas in Rome, more or less in order of preference:

• Piazza Bologna: probably the best area, full of students and elegant, very well connected by metro and buses.
  Average Prices: Single Room, 400-500 e.; Bed in a Double Room: 300-350 e.
• San Lorenzo: recognized as the most "student area", full of pubs and nightlife, well connected by tram and bus.
  Average Prices: Single Room, 400-500 e.; Bed in a Double Room: 300-350 e. 
• Pigneto: recognized as one of the most "typical" roman areas, well connected by tram.
  Average Prices: Single Room, 350-450 e.; Bed in a Double Room: 250-350 e.
• Castro Pretorio: is the zone between Termini station (stazione Termini) and the National Library (Biblioteca Nazionale), very touristic but quiet, very well connected to university and city centre by metro and bus.
  Average Prices: Single Room, 350-450 e.; Bed in a Double Room: 250-350 e.
• Manzoni/Merulana/Cavour/Rione Monti: one of the best areas to live in Rome: in the heart of the city, very well connected with metro and buses and also you can manage to find a not expensive room.
  Average Prices: Single Room, 350-450 e.; Bed in a Double Room: 250-350 e.
• Trastevere: probably the most beautiful area in Rome, typical and full of life, tourists and pubs, close to the city centre though is far away from the Sapienza university
  Average Prices: Single Room, 500-600 e.; Bed in a Double Room: 350-450. e.
• Termini/Piazza Vittorio: it's the zone between Termini station and Piazza Vittorio, many immigrants, quite folkloristic and cheap, very well connected to university and city centre by metro and bus.
  Average Prices: Single Room, 300-450 e.; Bed in a Double Room: 250-300 e.
• San Giovanni/Re di Roma: very busy area, many students but since the area is big they are a bit spread out, well connected by metro, tram and bus.
  Average Prices: Single Room, 350-500 e.; Bed in a Double Room: 250-350 e.
• Tiburtina/Casal Albertone (till Blockbuster): very busy area, lots of shops, well connected by bus but not so close to metro stations (the closest is Tiburtina metro station) and far away from trams.
  Average Prices: Single Room, 350-450 e.; Bed in a Double Room: 250-350 e.
• Prenestina (till Largo Preneste): a bit far away but cheap, very big area, many immigrants, well connected by trams.
  Average Prices: Single Room, 300-400 e.; Bed in a Double Room: 200-300 e.
• Other areas that are a bit far away but cheaper are: the rest of Tiburtina, the rest of Prenestina, Casilina, Furio Camillo, Monti Tiburtini, San Paolo, etc.