General info

Electrical Appliances

All the apartments in Rome operate with a 3 kilowatt fuse box. Be careful of using appliances simultaneously: (i.e., hair dryer, curling iron, washing machine) especially American appliances as they can easily blow the fuse!! Should this happen, your power will be cut off – turn off any appliances and lights you don’t need and check your fuse box to turn the power back on (Follow instructions in the handbook). When replacing light bulbs, consider purchasing energy saving bulbs which consume less energy while providing more light and thus will be less likely to help overload your limited electrical supply.

• You should carefully read the instructions for the use of the washing machine and hot water heater, as repairs for such items are costly. You are responsible for all repair costs resulting from their negligence or misuse. Never force open the door to the washing machine.
• You should be extremely careful with the use of the gas stove in the apartment. Make sure to light the flame immediately and to turn it off carefully after use.
• Also to prevent damage to the electrical system as well as to your own appliances, never overload the electrical outlets with multi-outlet power strips.
• Never yank wires from an outlet as you may take the outlet casing with it.

Apartment Safety

In your apartment, keep your shutters and serrande closed at night and whenever you’re not home. Never buzz in or hold the door open for someone you don’t know. Crimes in Italy are generally petty crimes of opportunity – just don’t leave that opportunity open! Do not invite mere acquaintances into your apartment - All students - but in particular females - should be aware of the social and potentially legal implications of inviting guests into their homes. Only give details of your or your roommates’ travel plans to your trusted friends and never to strangers or acquaintances. Call 112 or 113 to report any strange behaviour outside your unit.

Heating and Air Conditioning

Heating in most apartments is controlled by the condominium and is turned on according to the needs of the majority of residents. Although it varies from building to building, this is generally sometime between 5, 6 or 7 am - 9 or 10 am, and again for a few hours before 10 or 11 pm. Italian law dictates that condominium administrated heating must be on twice daily from November 15 until March 15. Should you suspect that your heat is not working, you should:

• Let the agency know as early in the day as possible – waiting until late afternoon or the weekend will hinder their ability to service your unit on a timely basis.
• Check the different rooms in your unit – it could just be that one particular radiator isn’t working. If you’ve got this problem, send a maintenance request specifying which radiator needs to be serviced.
• Never play with your thermostat – you could actually be turning the system off!
• Ask your agency to find out specifically what time your unit’s condo association has decided to heat the building – students sleeping through their heating hours is not unheard of.
• Never use stoves and ovens for their heat – these are NOT suitable heating solutions for you and your roommates. Apartments are not provided with air conditioning; instead Italians traditionally keep their shutters and serrande closed against the heat of the sun.
• Vent the bathroom to avoid mold growing.

Visitors

The right of a student to live in reasonable privacy takes precedence over the right of his/her roommate to entertain guests in a room/apartment. All visitors are expected to abide by housing rules and regulations. Students are responsible for any activities taking place in their housing that violate Housing rules or regulations or of University policy.

• Students are obligated to limit the number of visitors to a reasonable number, in compliance with condominium rules and common courtesy.
• Students are allowed visitors from 8:00am until their condominium’s quiet hours, seven days per week.
• Overnight guests are prohibited.

Phones

Apartments are equipped with a landline phone that will provide unlimited calls to landlines in Italy. Calls to cellular phones and calls outside of Italy can be made with a calling card. Unlimited incoming calls may be received without incurring any additional cost.

Windows and Doors

• Due to the force of Rome’s strong winds, windows may slam shut and break. Therefore windows and doors must be properly closed/locked at all times and not allowed to slam when closing.
• Elevator doors must be closed when exiting the elevator or it will not function. Elevators typically have two sets of doors. Each set must be manually and securely closed; as with all doors, do not allow them to slam but instead close the elevator doors carefully.
• Ensure that all gas appliances are turned off and securely lock doors when leaving your apartment. 
• Never force keys to turn as you may break them, or worse, break an expensive locking mechanism. Report any problems with your keys or locks right away.

Drains

Be conscientious about wiping your sinks, tubs and showers of hair, food, etc. as it will clog the drains. Your kitchen sink will not have a garbage disposal – garbage must go into garbage bags. Feminine hygiene products or condoms should never be flushed.

Washing Machines

European washing machines are “front loading”, i.e., there is no top lid but instead a front door. Because water can spill out and potentially cause damage, these front doors have a special timed lock and will not open when cycles are actively running. DO NOT force your washing machine open. Loads can take over 2 hours, so plan ahead. Bear in mind the Italian quiet hours laws before starting a load late in the evening..

Cleanliness and Hygiene

• Apartments and rooms must be kept tidy to allow the cleaning staff to work in the apartment and kitchen sinks should be accessible. Cleaning personnel are not responsible for picking up loose articles, removing trash, cleaning laundry or washing dirty dishes.
• Bed linens are provided and you are expected to change the sheets weekly.
• Garbage should be removed daily and placed in the green bins in the street outside the apartments.
• You are responsible for cleaning the kitchen area. If this is not done, the agent may clean the area at a charge to the occupants.
• Your Place in Rome provides a healthy, sanitary living environment for students. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure pests and other unwanted elements are not brought back to the unit. Students are advised to exercise care especially when booking hostels.

Respect Your Neighbour

Please be considerate of those living with and around you. The walls in Italy allow sound to pass surprisingly easily — you can hear much of what your neighbour is doing or saying, and vice versa. Most of your neighbours are normal Italian citizens with families and full-time jobs, they need 7-8 hours of sleep every night, and their weekend starts as late as on Saturday afternoon. It is no coincidence that Italian laws set "quiet hours", as stated in the following etiquette. Most residents enjoy the arrival of American students and you should do your part to foster that relationship, by keeping excessive noise to a minimum at all times. You should remember that although the housing facilities are not directly provided by the University, your behaviour reflects on the University and can affect future students’ living arrangements.
Also, most elevator doors in Italy are not electronic and have to be closed manually before it can move to the next floor. Please remember to close them carefully every time you use the elevator.

Behaviour

• Italian quiet hours laws must be respected.
• Common rules of Italian etiquette must be observed.
• It is prohibited to bring animals, stereos, speakers, televisions, musical instruments, or heaters into the apartment. It is also prohibited to use nails, tape or “blu-tack” on the walls or to remove furnishings. Candles, incense or any other materials that produce an open flame are not allowed.
• Overnight guests are not permitted.
• All apartments are non-smoking environments.

Common Rules of Italian Etiquette

• By Italian law, making noise is not allowed between 12:30 or 1:00pm - 3:30 or 4:00pm, nor between 9:30 or 10:00pm - 8:00am (specific hours are set by the administrator of building). Excessive noise on the premises is unacceptable at all times.
• You are expected to behave respectfully and are requested to refrain from appearing in the public areas of the condominium barefoot or scantily dressed. The latter also applies to when service providers come to your unit to clean or provide maintenance or repairs.
• Hard sole or high heel shoes should be worn only when leaving your apartment, and removed upon re-entry, most importantly during quiet hours.
• Avoid cooking, washing dishes, or taking showers in the middle of the night (these activities cause noise which easily reverberate through the building).
• Do not congregate in the common areas of your building, and keep noise to a minimum while in the balconies, stairwells, hallways and elevators. Use the telephone or citofono to call your friends or neighbours; do not converse from or shout out of your windows, balconies or doors.
• Never drag furniture across the room; instead, lift furniture off the floor when moving it, and avoid moving furniture altogether during quiet hours.
• Never toss anything from the windows, terraces or balconies, but instead dispose of properly. Make sure anything left on your windowsills or balconies cannot be blown away by strong winds.
• Take your garbage out daily. Never leave your garbage outside your apartment door, even “to remind yourself” to take it out. Do not allow garbage to accumulate on your terrace.
• Should you spill or drop something in a common area of your building (including the elevator), clean it up immediately. Never allow your garbage to leak onto the landings, stairs or elevator – should this occur, clean it before your neighbours discover it.

Responsibilities

• The rental fee includes the expenses for electricity, water, gas, condominium fees and routine maintenance services from 9:00am to 5:30pm, Monday through Friday.
• Neither the agency nor the University are responsible for items left in the apartment. Never leave large amounts of cash, traveller’s checks, jewellery or other valuables in the apartments. It is also prudent to never leave anything of value out in the open.
• Keys are the exclusive responsibility of the student. If you lose your keys, report the loss immediately to Your Place in Rome so that they can provide a new set, or, if necessary, arrange for a locksmith to change the locks. Keys are never to be given to anyone. Keys must be left behind at the end of the semester; apartments with missing keys may have their locks changed at a charge to the departing residents. Instructions will be posted at the end of the semester as to how to properly return your keys.
• Unit problems and repairs needed, must be expeditiously reported, directly to Your Place in Rome.
• Never force anything (i.e., doors, windows, appliances, plugs, etc) as you could easily break something. Pay attention to the things that you use, and never hesitate to ask for help as things even as simple as opening a door or flushing a toilet can be completely different to back home.
• All assigned occupants are responsible for what occurs in their units, including damages, and for their guests behaviour.