:: SECURITY DEPOSIT
You will usually be asked to pay a security deposit of one to three months rent when you first move into an apartment. When you move out, the landlord will inspect the apartment for damages. If you have a legal contract, much of what could be considered "damages" is clearly stated in the document, so you'll know in advance what will be expected of you as far as maintaining the property is concerned.
If, at the end of the lease there are no damages, you will be given a full refund of your deposit.

:: CONDOMINIUM FEES
As most apartments in Italy are individually owned, apartment buildings are managed together by the owners of the individual apartments.
Regular meetings are held in which policies and expenses are discussed and decisions made. An amministratore (housing administrator) is usually employed to oversee the meetings, take minutes, and keep track of the building's finances.
In a rental apartment, the tenant is usually spared the onerous task of attending the meetings.
However, he/she is usually responsible for paying the condominium fees. Sometimes the fees are included in the price of the rent. Make it a point to ask if the condominium fees are included and if not, ask how much they will cost per month.
Agencies frequently advertise the rent without mentioning the fees, so don't be fooled.
Buildings with elevators, central heating, portineria, and tend to have higher monthly fees.

:: HEATING SYSTEM
Be sure to ask which kind of system is used to heat the apartment:

• Riscaldamento autonomo (individually controlled heating) means you decide when to turn the heat on and off. Therefore, you only pay for what you consume individually (it's usually more ecomomical).
• Riscaldamento centralizzato (central heating), the cost of heating the building is divided among all the apartments and the condominium owners decide the temperature settings and number of hours a day the heat is on. The decisions are based on legal mandates.

See more details on the "Plugging in - section" of this website (click here on the left).

:: HOT WATER
You can find different system:

• Most apartments with individually controlled heating have a gas boiler for both heat and hot water, and there is no limit to the amount of hot water you can consume at any given time. Convenient, but it can make for steep gas bills.
• In apartments with centralized heating, beware of electric hot water boilers. These hold a limited amount of water, so that if two people take showers one after the other, the second person risks a frosty rinse-off. In addition, this type of boiler can send the electricity bill soaring.
• With some centralized heating systems, an unlimited supply of hot water is provided in conjunction with the heat during the winter, and you only need to use the electric boiler for hot water during the summer months when the heating system is not running.
• Sometimes hot water is not part of the deal at all, so the electric boiler is necessary year round. This sort of setup is the worst of all possible combinations.
• There are also situations where heating is centralized, but there is no electric boiler because the hot water is furnished centrally as well. In this scenario, the water bill will be higher because it reflects both hot and cold water usage, but there is no limit to the amount of hot water available.

When looking at prospective apartments, take into account which type of system is installed, as it will inevitably affect your budget. Again. see more details on the "Plugging in - section" pages (click here on the left).

:: GARBAGE TAX
The city of Bologna requires that everyone pitch in to pay for the citywide garbage collection service.
The amount you have to pay is determined by the size of the apartment, not the number of people residing within.
You can pay in monthly installments or annually.

For more information:
HERA BOLOGNA V.le Berti Pichat 2/4
Tel 051-287111
Fax 051 250418
Client service 800 999500
Quick help 800250101
www.gruppohera.it



Also, check more detailed informations on the "Plugging in - section" pages (click here on the left).