Guides

What we wish we had known before signing our first contract.

Safety

How to spot a rental scam in Pavia
The signals that come up every time, the questions to ask, and what you must never pay before seeing the place.
5 min read
Viewing checklist: what to check before you say yes
Twenty minutes inside a flat decide the next twelve months. Here is what to look at, room by room.
4 min read

Student transitional contract or canone concordato?
The two contract types you will meet in Pavia, what actually changes for you, and what to check before signing.
4 min read
Deposit, security deposit, advance: which one are you paying?
Three words used as if they meant the same thing. They do not. How much to pay, when it comes back, and what to do if it does not.
4 min read
Canone concordato in Pavia: are you paying too much?
What the territorial agreement is, why landlords benefit from it, and how to tell whether the rent you are being asked for is within the bands.
4 min read

Arriving from abroad: your first steps in Pavia
Tax code, residence permit, bank account, healthcare and housing. What to do, in what order, and what you actually need.
4 min read
What it really costs to live in Pavia as a student
Rent, bills, canteen, transport and the rest. Concrete numbers so you know what a month costs before November surprises you.
4 min read
Codice fiscale: what it is, what it is for, how to get it
Without a codice fiscale you cannot sign a lease, open a bank account or get a phone contract in Italy. Here is how to get one, free and fast.
3 min read

Living in Cravino: what it costs and who it suits
The science campus area: prices, transport, neighbourhood life and what to actually expect.
3 min read
Living in the historic centre: what you pay for and what you get
Strada Nuova and around: prices, noise, heating in old buildings, and who it really suits.
3 min read
Living near the station and Minerva
The district for anyone who goes home at weekends: prices, connections, noise, and who it really suits.
3 min read
Living near the Policlinico
The district for medical students and junior doctors: prices, shifts, distances, and what living opposite a hospital actually means.
3 min read