UW Rome Center

Student Housing

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Student accommodations are mostly located off campus, within a 40-minute walk from the UWRC in apartments shared with other students in your program. Many apartments are located in beautiful, centuries-old buildings, some of which have steep staircases or other architectural elements typical of old buildings. Apartments typically have one to three bedrooms, kitchen, living room/common area, and one or more bathrooms. All apartments are furnished and have a fully-equipped kitchen including standard Italian kitchenware, washing machine and drying rack. Bedrooms are usually shared with one or two other students, including one single bed per student and closet/clothing storage space. Bed, bath and kitchen linens are provided.

Apartments are cleaned regularly by a professional cleaning service. The cleaning service does not include daily chores like washing dishes or tidying personal belongings. Upon arrival, you will be provided with a small initial supply of necessities like toilet paper, paper towels, garbage bags, and dish detergent. Students are expected to replenish these items as needed.

Student housing assignments will be made by your Program Director and you will receive further information about your assigned apartment, including your address and apartment-mates, in advance of your arrival in Rome. You will also be asked to sign the UWRC Housing Agreement during the onboarding process.

Check in for student apartments is typically on the first day of your program and check out is the day after your program ends, unless your program has made other arrangements. If you will be arriving to Rome before the start of your program and staying later, you will need to make alternative housing arrangements for those additional days.

Italian Housing Etiquette

Some Italian living habits and standards are different than in the US, so it may take a conscious effort on your part to be respectful to those around you and to contribute to the overall safety, efficiency and harmony of your apartment community. Because of the architecture and design of Italian buildings (i.e., marble and ceramic surfaces, pipes that pass through the whole building, no wall to wall carpeting), noise passes easily between walls and floors, especially late at night. For this reason, Italian laws set “quiet hours”. By Italian law, noise is not allowed between 12:30/1:00 pm – 3:00/4:00 pm or between 9:30/10:00 pm – 8:00 am. (Specific hours are set by the administrator of the building.) Excessive noise is unacceptable at all times of the day.

Remember that you will be living alongside Italian families, the elderly, and the employed–people with regular daily lives, jobs, children to take to school, etc., whose weekends do not begin until after Friday or even Saturday afternoon. Respect the following rules at all times:

  • Avoid appearing in public areas of the building barefoot or scantily dressed.
  • Do not wear hard sole or high heel shoes while in your apartment, as they can be heard by those above and below you.
  • Do not run washing machines during quiet hours.
  • Do not congregate in common areas, and be mindful of your noise level while in balconies, stairwells, hallways, and elevators. Do not shout or call to friends or neighbors from the windows or balconies.
  • Do not drag furniture across the room. Instead, lift it off the floor to move it. Avoid moving things during quiet hours.
  • Do not throw anything from the windows or balconies.
  • Do not allow guests to buzz apartments other than your own on the citofono.
  • Dispose of trash properly and regularly. (See Garbage & Recycling Guidelines.)
  • Always close doors and windows when leaving and secure them firmly. Close them quietly and carefully as the Roman wind can cause them to slam and even break.

Late Night & Overnight Guests

Visitors and guests are allowed in student apartments for academic, personal and social reasons. At all times, UWRC students are personally responsible for the actions of their guests. As a result, students are responsible for any damage, physical or otherwise, to the apartment caused by their visitors. Under Italian law, all apartment occupants regardless of duration of stay must be declared to the local police. Therefore, guests are not allowed in student apartments late at night or overnight (generally from 11:00 pm to 7:00 am).

Garbage & Recycling

While in Rome, it is CRITICAL to adhere to the following rules for disposing of waste and recyclable materials. City inspectors routinely check building’s garbage and recycling, and fines of up to €100 may be imposed if materials are found deposited in the wrong containers. All apartments have specific directions and appropriate bins for disposing of waste and recyclables. In addition, each neighborhood has a specific schedule for days of the week you can dispose of waste and recyclables. Waste and recyclables should be taken out frequently, especially during summer months. If you have questions about where or when to dispose of waste and recyclables, please check out this Trash-Well, Live- Better Handbook directly from Rome’s waste disposal company or contact your apartment manager.

FOOD AND ORGANIC WASTE

  • Leftover food, fruit, vegetables, eggshells, coffee grounds, tea filters (NO packaging!)
  • Leaves and flowers

NON-RECYCLABLE MATERIALS

  • Paper and cardboard that is dirty with food, or has an oiled or laminated surface (e.g., paper used for wrapping pizza by the slice)
  • Non-recyclable plastics (e.g., toys)
  • Diapers and sanitary napkins
  • Do not include batteries or toner cartridges – these may be disposed of at the UWRC

PAPER

  • Clean paper and cardboard
  • Cardboard milk and juice containers (e.g., Tetra Pak) without plastic cap
  • Do not include paper or cardboard that is dirty with food or other substances, or oiled or laminated paper

METAL & PLASTIC

  • Plastic bottles, tin cans and plastic containers (emptied and rinsed)
  • Plastic dishes and cups (rinsed)
  • Plastic bags
  • Aluminum foil
  • Screw-on bottle caps
  • Spray cans (empty)
  • Styrofoam
  • Do not include: plastic utensils, ceramics, chinaware, light bulbs, containers of toxic materials, toys, window panes, mirrors, electric appliances

GLASS

  • Glass bottles and jars (emptied and rinsed)

Personal Property Protection

Please note that damage to personal property is not covered by landlord/agency insurance, so if you will be bringing expensive equipment or valuables to Rome, you should consider obtaining personal property coverage. Also, to ensure the safety of your valuables while in Rome, we recommended that you bring a small padlock to keep your cash/valuables in a locked suitcase. Do not to leave delicate/valuable items such as laptops in places where damage might occur (e.g., on apartment floor).

Fire & Safety

All student apartments are in compliance with Italian safety and fire code for residential properties. Please note that Italian safety and fire codes may differ from those in the U.S.