The best apartments in Rome

How to find, and reserve, the best rental flats in Rome in every price range and neighborhood

Apartments for rent—often referred to by the British terms "flats to let"—are easiest to arrange through a rental consortium like those listed below.

However, you'll sometimes find better deals by contacting people privately in Rome via local papers, English-language magazines (www.wantedinrome.com is the best), and the Rome tourist office, which will usually have a list of apartments you can contact directly as well as local agencies.

Do a lot of shopping around, ask many questions, look at pictures if you can get 'em. Work with agencies that specialize in that region or city and only ones that will help you find the place you want, not the one they want to sell you.

Here are some leads.

Rental agencies and booking sites

Booking.com (www.booking.com) - Another key generalist booking engine. Its selection of apartment isn't quite as broad as Venere's (just 31 in Rome), but well worth looking into—what do you care how broad the listings are if among them is just the place you need?

HomeAway (www.homeaway.com) - One of the bigger (at least when it comes to Italy), with more than 8,500 rentals in Italy alone, of which nearly 500 are in Rome.

VRBO (www.vrbo.com) - The names stands for "Vacation Rentals By Owners," which is (mostly) exactly what this is: it cuts out the middle man or a rental agency (and the attendant fees) by allowing those with rental homes—nearly 400 in Rome—to advertise them directly to potential vacation renters. I say "mostly" because, as you might imagine, plenty of agencies post their offering here as well, but that's OK. So long as you find the right match for you, does the provenance of the perfect vacation home really matter? I've used this service to find everything from a flat in London to a South Carolina beach house.

Rentalo (www.rentalo.com) - More than 120,000 properties around the world, including two dozen in Rome. (Note that they also list some B&Bs and a whole lot of regular hotels; be sure to click on "Vacation Rentals" in the left-hand column under "Lodging Types" to limit the list to rental apartments.)

Airbnb.com (www.airbnb.com) - Network of both official and unofficial apartments and B&Bs, including more than 1,600 apartments in Rome. Its rates are among the lowest, most charging anywhere from $25 to $800 per night. A handful do range higher, but the important thing is that roughly 80% of the apartments cost $200 or less per night—way less than most hotels. Still, since there are many unregulated and uninspected flats on offer here, do your homework, read up on user reviews, and buyer beware.

Barclay International (www.barclayweb.com) - One of the world's premier rental agencies since 1963. (And yes, "premier" does mean "a bit pricey"). Excellent properties and service, though, throughout the major cities of Western Europe.

Interhome (www.interhome.us) - Thousands upon thousands of apartments and villas across Europe (and, er, Florida).

Villas International (www.villasintl.com) - Long-established agency, with properties in perhaps more countries than any other.

Craigslist.org (www.craigslist.org) - The biggest virtual classifieds section lists short-term rentals all over the world. Be sure to rifle through the craigslists of most major U.S. cities—doesn't matter if you live there or not—because lots of folks post rental ads for their Rome apartment on the Craigslists for New York, Chicago, San Fran, etc. 

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