Student accommodation in Florence 2026/27: homestay, DSU or shared flat

What a room costs in Florence in 2026/27, how the DSU accommodation place works, what the law says about the lease and deposit, and how to avoid rental scams.

Updated 10/11/2026 · Gomfy

What it costs to live in Florence as a student

According to Immobiliare.it Insights data reported by La Nazione on 24 August 2026, a single room in Florence was advertised at 627 euro a month on average, 3.3 % more than a year earlier. That is the second highest among the student cities compared, after Milan (704) and ahead of Rome (615), Bologna (585), Pisa (364) and Siena (351); the Italian average is 575. These are asking prices in listings, not signed rents: there is room to negotiate, and the centre costs more than the outskirts.

A room in a host’s home

Living with a host is the easiest way to arrive: the bed is ready, you do not open utility accounts and, if you are learning Italian, you use it every day. Agree schedule, meals, use of the kitchen, guests and special diets beforehand. It is a shared home, not a hotel. If you come for a language course, check first whether the school has its own host families; if you are not enrolled in a school, or you prefer to choose the home and talk to the host first, look for independent hosts.

Public residences and the DSU place

DSU Toscana (the regional right-to-study agency) awards scholarships and accommodation places to students of the universities of Florence, Pisa and Siena and other Tuscan institutions, based on ISEE and the other requirements of the call. For 2026/27, degree students could apply until 13:00 on 7 September 2026 (closed); PhD and specialisation students can apply until 13:00 on 16 November 2026. If you have no place now, a room on the private market is the way; if you qualify, plan to apply in next year’s summer window. The full call, with requirements and rents, is on the DSU Toscana website.

Shared flats and the contract

Italian law has a specific student lease (art. 5, paragraph 2, law 431/1998): it applies if you are enrolled on a course in a municipality other than your residence, and under the 2017 ministerial decree it lasts from six months to three years. Under art. 11 of law 392/1978 the deposit cannot exceed three months’ rent and earns legal interest paid to the tenant every year. Still, check which type of contract you are offered, who registers it and what is included (bills, internet) before paying anything.

When to look

For a September start, look in spring and early summer; for the second semester, in October or November. Short stays and language courses are easier to arrange a few weeks ahead.

Avoiding rental scams

The Polizia Postale (advice reported by Money.it on 1 December 2022) lists signs that repeat:

• the advertiser asks for documents or money before showing you the home;
• they say they are abroad and ask for several months’ rent to post you the keys;
• they ask for payment on prepaid cards or untraceable services;
• stunning or missing photos, a price far below the area, contact only by chat or email and no answer by phone.

Do not pay before you have seen the room, in person or by live video, and keep the conversation on the platform. If you have already paid, call your bank at once and report it: online to the Polizia Postale (to be completed in person within 48 hours), or to the police or carabinieri.

What Gomfy offers in Florence

Honestly: Gomfy has no active host in Florence at the moment, so no listings appear below. Students do search Gomfy for accommodation in Florence, which is why we are looking for hosts there. Check our Florence page before you book, because new hosts appear there first. On Gomfy you choose your dates, you can talk to the host through Gomfy’s messages before booking, and the host’s price plus Gomfy’s service fee is shown before you book.

Live in Florence and have a spare room?

Students and language-course participants look for rooms in homes every year. On Gomfy you decide who stays, for how long and at what price, and listing your room is free.

Rooms and host families on Gomfy in Florence

There are no listings in Florence on Gomfy right now. See the nearest options or post your search on our city page.

Want to take a course too? Language courses in Florence on LanguageBookings

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. La Nazione, single-room rents in university cities, Immobiliare.it Insights data (24 Aug 2026)
2. Regione Toscana, call for scholarships and accommodation places 2026/27 (DSU Toscana)
3. Legge 431/1998, art. 5 (student leases), Brocardi
4. Legge 392/1978, art. 11 (deposit), Brocardi
5. Money.it, rental scams and Polizia Postale advice (1 Dec 2022)

Prices and rules change: check the source before you decide. Information read on 10/11/2026.