According to the SoloAffitti Study Center, on the eve of the resumption of the academic year, a single room starts from 150 euros per month in Potenza and reaches 700 euros in Milan. In Florence you can reach 750 euros in the most popular areas. Rome, on the other hand, shows the greatest fragmentation, with prices ranging from 350 euros in some areas of Tor Vergata up to 1,000 euros in the premium range close to Luiss.
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But how much do prices fluctuate? In Potenza a single generally costs 150-350 euros per month; in Teramo 180-300 euros and in Reggio Calabria 180-300, without charges. In Catanzaro they range from 200 to 350 euros, while Pescara fluctuates between 250 and 300, with peaks of 350. In Siena the market rises to 250-400 euros, with maximums of 450. Forlì and Lecce are between 250 and 350 euros, but in the Apulian city the most expensive solutions reach 400-420 euros. In Genoa it starts from 250 euros and reaches 350, with peaks of 400. Bari offers a range of 280-450 euros. Naples is more variable: from 300 to 590 euros. In Pisa a single is worth around 350 euros, but can reach 500; in Pavia the ordinary market is between 350 and 500 euros, with peaks of 600. Florence remains among the most expensive cities: 450-550 euros normally, up to 750 in the central areas and near the Social Sciences centre.
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In the capital the most frequent rent for a single is around 550 euros, but neighborhoods and universities make the difference. At Sapienza you spend 500-700 euros; in the Roma Tre areas 500-650. Around Luiss it reaches 800 euros in Parioli, while for Lumsa the range is 600-750 euros between Prati and Mazzini. Tor Vergata is more accessible, with 350-600 euros between Romanina and Anagnina. For new or renovated properties, especially close to universities, a real premium segment is born. At Sapienza you can reach 800-900 euros, at Roma Tre 750-800, at Luiss 800-1000 and at Lumsa 800-950. In this segment the increases fluctuate between 5 and 10%. Rome is also experiencing an even more extreme phenomenon: some apartments previously intended for short-term rentals are converted for university students. The prices, however, are not popular. In some high-end offers a double room reaches 1200-1500 euros per month, bringing student housing ever closer to higher level hospitality.
The most significant fact is perhaps the greater selectivity of the demand. In past years, price increases affected most university cities; today the requests are growing especially where universities offer a training offer that is considered innovative and attractive. In areas with less attractiveness, however, the market tends to stagnate. Student preferences are also changing. The single room remains the most requested solution, together with wi-fi and proximity to the university. In the South, attention is growing for air conditioning, while formulas with fees and expenses included are becoming more interesting, allowing you to immediately know the total monthly outlay. The timing of research also changes. The filter semester of Medicine tends to distribute the application into two phases: a first between September and October and a second between February and March.
Milan represents a different case. Single rooms generally cost 500-650 euros and can reach 700, but demand is showing signs of a slowdown also due to the growing success of student residences, which intercept a portion of students previously oriented towards shared apartments. An example is the transformation of the former Olympic Village of Porta Romana into a 1700-bed university residence. The Coima project had envisaged singles from 1,065 euros and doubles from 739, with services included. After criticism, 450 places were provided at a controlled rate, about a quarter of the total, with a cost of 592 euros per month for a place in a double room.
The growth of student housing is part of a broader housing crisis. In recent years the supply of public and subsidized beds has remained insufficient, while many apartments have switched to short-term rentals, which are more profitable for the owners. The construction of new homes in large cities has not followed the growth in demand, fueled by students, workers and new residents. The result has been a long increase in rents. Today, however, the balance is changing: it no longer counts only how many accommodations are available, but which housing product is offered, at what price and for which group of students.
"The university rental market is becoming much more selective. Today what increasingly makes the difference is the attractiveness of the university, the location and the quality of the property", explains Silvia Spronelli, CEO of SoloAffitti. Photography therefore returns a multi-speed sector. Potenza and Teramo still offer singles under 300 euros, while Rome and Milan concentrate the most expensive solutions and a greater variety of offers. In the capital they go from 350 euros in Tor Vergata to 1,000 euros in the premium range, up to 1,500 euros for some doubles coming from the short-term rental market. In Milan, however, the growth of student residences contributes to slowing down traditional demand. The new challenge, for cities and universities, is therefore not only to find more homes, but to create an offer that is accessible, competitive and consistent with the needs of students and families, who are increasingly called upon to bear high costs to guarantee their children the possibility of studying away from home in cities with the most sought-after and competitive universities in the country, where housing pressure remains particularly strong.
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