I honestly don't know where to start. If you want to read all the details, please continue below, but here's a quick summary: If you have any other option, do not rent from this agency, and be prepared for the possibility that you will never get your deposit back. If you are currently renting from this agency and they are threatening to evict you, please scroll to the bottom of this review and read the explanation there.
I will talk about both the good and bad sides of this agency.
First, the positives. If you stay in one of their renovated houses, the facilities are generally quite good. For example, you have air conditioning, a washing machine, a dryer, and a somewhat equipped kitchen (although having only 2 pans for 8 people was insufficient, in my opinion). At least these facilities exist. When something goes wrong in the house, there are people you can contact who respond quickly (I said respond quickly, not actually solve problems quickly).
Those are the positives. I was actually quite satisfied in the beginning, and overall, my stay was relatively pleasant despite some issues. However, everything went downhill when I moved out. They told me they would return my deposit within 45 days, but after those 45 days passed, they stopped responding to me and eventually blocked me on WhatsApp.
Now, let's talk about the problems.
- Disrespectful treatment and promises that are not kept
First and most importantly, you are dealing with people who do not respect you because you are a student and a foreigner. They do not speak to you with basic human respect.
You also do not receive everything you were promised. For example, one of the reasons I chose my house was that it had air conditioning, a washing machine, a dryer, etc. However, shortly after check-in, they completely cut off the electricity to the air conditioning units and introduced restricted hours for using the laundry facilities.
And I'm not talking about reasonable rules like "Don't use the washing machine after midnight." They literally came up with arbitrary time restrictions. For example, imagine you're home at 1 PM and want to do your laundry. Not allowed. They simply cut off the electricity to the laundry facilities outside their designated hours.
None of these rules were disclosed to us when we rented the house. Suddenly, we were told that air conditioning was no longer available at all and that we could only use the laundry facilities during very limited hours. Apparently, this was their way of "disciplining students."
Another issue is that they can enter your home or even your private room at any time, without your permission, disregarding your rights.
For example, when one of the bathrooms in the house stopped working, they allowed another tenant to use my private bathroom without asking me or even informing me. I understand that the other bathroom was unusable, so the reason itself might have been reasonable. However, I believe the very least they should have done was ask for my permission or inform me beforehand.
Basically, if something goes wrong in another tenant's room, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they entered your room without asking, put an extra bed there, and told you, "This person will stay here until their room is fixed."
- Constant threats, arbitrary fines, and deposit deductions
Another problem, related to the first one, is that you are constantly threatened.
They frequently show up at the house without notice, seemingly looking for any excuse to penalize you.
Has a chair been moved 3 cm from where it's supposed to be? Boom, €100 fine.
Is there a single glass left in the sink? Boom, €125 fine.
And the worst part is that they seem to calculate these amounts arbitrarily and don't even tell you about the deductions until you've moved out and it's time to return your deposit.
From what I've heard from other students, this is how it usually goes:
You pay a €670 deposit. Nobody tells you anything about deductions during your stay. Then, after moving out, you discover that only €200 has been returned. You ask why, but nobody responds to your WhatsApp messages. Only after you file a complaint somewhere do they finally come up with explanations for the deductions. And even then, there are no invoices, receipts, or documents proving that these expenses actually occurred.
You need to understand what I believe is the main reason behind these deposit problems.
Normally, rental agencies receive a commission, while the security deposit goes to the property owner. Bedstudent, however, is an intermediary, not the owner of the properties, yet they are the ones collecting and holding the deposits.
In my opinion, this creates a serious conflict of interest. Whether or not you actually damaged the property seems irrelevant to them, because the more money they deduct, the more money they potentially keep for themselves.
This is why I believe you should expect to receive either a very small portion of your deposit or nothing at all.
As for my own deposit, I still have absolutely no idea why they are withholding it.
During my stay, they warned us a few times about making too much noise or leaving the kitchen dirty. However, they never told us that any specific amount would be deducted or that particular financial penalties would be applied.
They simply said something along the lines of, "Fix the situation or you will be penalized." And we did fix the issues they mentioned.
Despite asking them approximately 5 or 6 times on WhatsApp about my deposit, they repeatedly left my messages on read and eventually blocked me.
No explanation. No response. Nothing.
That alone should tell you how unprofessional they are. They don't even have the courage or professionalism to send a simple message saying, "We have decided to keep your deposit."
They take advantage of your status as a foreign student and use it against you.
- Threats of eviction: Know your rights
After speaking with my friends, I realized that students in several different houses had experienced similar problems.
This agency seems to take full advantage of the fact that you are a foreigner and may not be familiar with Italian law.
First, there is one extremely important thing you need to understand:
THEY CANNOT SIMPLY FORCE YOU OUT OF YOUR HOME.
They might threaten you. They might even physically show up at your door and attempt to remove you. But if something like this happens, call the police immediately.
Once you sign a rental agreement, you have the legal right to occupy the property according to the terms of that agreement.
EVEN IF YOU FAIL TO PAY YOUR RENT, THEY GENERALLY NEED TO GO THROUGH THE LEGAL EVICTION PROCESS AND OBTAIN A COURT ORDER TO FORCIBLY REMOVE YOU.
These people seem to think they are above the law, so they may threaten you or provide misleading information about your rights.
Do not let them intimidate you. Know your legal rights and use them.
They cannot simply remove you by force without following the proper legal procedures. If they attempt to do so, contact the police and file a complaint.
If you have complied with your rental agreement and have not done anything that legally justifies eviction, they cannot simply have you removed because they feel like it. Any eviction claim would have to be assessed through the appropriate legal process. Even if you have violated certain terms of your rental agreement, they still cannot forcibly evict you on their own. They must follow the proper legal process and obtain a court order before they can legally remove you from the property.
In my opinion, they rely on threats rather than legal action because they know that intimidation is easier when dealing with foreign students who may not understand their rights.
- What to do if you have moved out and haven't received your deposit
If you have already left the property and your deposit has not been returned, here are some places you can contact.
First, visit Sportello Affitti in Padova. They provide free legal assistance, particularly to students, and may be able to help you handle certain parts of the process.
You should also fill out the "Get Back Your Deposit" form provided through the ESN network.
Another option is to report your situation to UDU Padova, the student union.
Until now, I have tried to resolve this entire situation respectfully and directly through WhatsApp.
However, since they have refused to communicate with me, we are now moving forward with the formal legal notice process.
I recommend using PEC (Posta Elettronica Certificata) rather than sending a regular email. PEC is Italy's certified email system, which provides legally recognized proof of sending and delivery.
I will update this review once the process is concluded.