How it goes
Apply for ESU student housing first
runs subsidised student residences in Padova, usually the cheapest beds in the city. Housing has its own call, separate from the scholarship, and you apply on ESU's online Studente, not on ; without Italian documents you register there with your passport. The call closes in August, before most people have even booked a flight, and the deadline is final. Watch ESU's news page from June for the next one.
Housing call closes:Closed: 25 August 2026 at 10:00 for first years, 19 August at 10:00 for later yearsThen the ordinary market
Rooms in shared flats are the norm. Listings cluster on the main Italian rental portals, on university noticeboards, and in Padova-specific student housing groups. Expect a room in a shared flat to be the realistic option; whole flats are rare and expensive for one student.
Read the rent figure properly
A price followed by means bills are extra, usually €40 to €80 a month on top. Ask specifically what is included: heating (the expensive one), water, electricity, internet, and the building's condominium charges.
Say this at the counter
“Le spese sono incluse o escluse? Quanto sono al mese?”
Are bills included or excluded? How much per month?
Insist on a registered contract in your own name
This is the step with consequences far beyond housing. A contract that is not registered with the tax authority cannot be used to obtain , and without residenza you cannot register with the health service and your access to several benefits narrows. Ask directly whether the contract will be registered, and get the registration receipt afterwards.
Say this at the counter
“Il contratto sarà registrato? Posso avere la ricevuta di registrazione?”
Will the contract be registered? May I have the registration receipt?
What actually goes wrong
Collected from students who hit these. This section is the reason to read the page twice.
The deposit-before-viewing scam
The pattern is consistent: an unusually good flat, a landlord who is conveniently abroad, pressure to transfer a deposit to hold it, and a request to use a money-transfer service rather than a bank. It targets students booking from abroad precisely because they cannot view in person. Never send money for a property nobody you trust has physically stood inside. Ask a student already in Padova to view it. The arrival board on this site exists partly for this.
'We can do it without a contract, it is cheaper'
It is cheaper because it moves every risk onto you. No contract means no residenza, no proof of address for your permit renewal, no protection if you are asked to leave, and no recourse over the deposit. The saving is never worth what it costs later.
Signing before you understand the exit terms
Check the notice period and what happens if you leave early. Some contracts require several months' notice or forfeit the deposit. Students who move out in June for a summer at home routinely find they owe rent until September.
Where this comes from
This page describes practical experience rather than an official procedure, so it cites no official source. Treat everything on it as student-reported.
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