During your Semester in Greece program, you will be staying with other CISabroad students studying at HAU.  Apartments will be mixed-gender, but you will sleep in shared single-gender bedrooms. Bathrooms will be shared.  You will have up to two roommates in your own bedroom.

Your apartment will be located thirty-five minutes or less from the academic building by public transportation, which is very easy to use in Athens!  The metro is efficient and modern, and Evgenia will be able to recommend subway, bus or walking routes to help you get to campus easily.

What will your apartment include?

Each apartment includes free WiFi, linens and bedding, utilities, and a kitchenette with fridge, oven, cooking utensils, etc.  

Please note: you will be living in one of the most desirable urban areas on the planet, and as such, space will be at a premium.  Please do expect large, lavish apartments, as this is not how Athenians live!  We do, however, pick apartments in areas we think you will love.  Dryers are also not a standard item in Greece, although do expect to have access to a washer.  Line-drying your clothes in the sun really does work well!

CISabroad makes every effort to provide your preferred form of housing, we cannot guarantee that all personal preferences are met. We have carefully selected safe and adequate housing for each student and each living arrangement is distinct and special in its own way.  Some apartments may have kitchen appliances that others do not have, for instance, but all will have the basics covered!

Every housing placement is different with different pros and cons. Your accommodations will be different than what you may have come to expect back at home. In general, be prepared for a relatively small living space in an older building with very basic amenities. Now is the time to open your mind and get ready to experience something different; this attitude is in the spirit of your decision to study abroad. Please also remember, that when you are abroad, you will be representing your home institution and your home country; please behave appropriately.

There are generally no housing changes allowed during the program, unless there are extenuating circumstances.  There is a natural adjustment period to life abroad and living with new roommates in this type of environment.  Additionally, since the housing is coordinated through landlord to fit the exact size of the group, there is not usually a surplus of extra spaces available in any given apartment.

Cleanliness:
Please keep your room and the common areas clean; this is especially important when you are sharing a bedroom, apartment, residence, or dormitory.

Noise:
In order to avoid disturbing the neighbors or housemates, please use headphones when listening to music, or keep the volume low, and please keep your voices down.

Utilities and use:

• Always turn off the lights when you leave the apartment and when you are not in the room.
• Heating systems and air conditioning are not as common in Europe. Please take this into account and be prepared to dress accordingly.

Safety:

• You should lock the apartment door at all times. Also, when leaving the apartment, make sure the windows are closed and locked. Neither the study abroad company nor the housing company will not be responsible for any stolen items.
• If the keys to the apartment are stolen, lost or misplaced, all locks to the apartment will have to be replaced at the student’s expense, including key copies for all apartment members.
• If the keys are left inside the apartment/bedroom and the locksmith has to open the door for you, you will have to pay for this service.
• It is strictly forbidden to throw any object or substance from windows, balconies, terraces or roofs. This includes keys, cigarette butts or anything else big or small.

Guests and Alcohol Policies:

• Disrespectful behavior related to alcohol consumption will end up in dismissal from the housing and you will have to find your own housing at your own expense.
• Smoking is not allowed anywhere inside the apartment.
• The consumption of drugs, as well as keeping or dealing with them, is absolutely prohibited.
• Overnight guests are strictly prohibited.

Financial Liability:

• You will have to pay for any damage done to the apartment (doors, walls, floors, furniture, kitchen supplies, washing machine, etc.).
• If extra time is needed to clean the apartment, or if items are damaged or missing, you will be charged and those charges will be deducted from your housing deposit. Housing deposits will be returned 8-12 weeks after the program has ended

Helpful tips for living with other people:

• Respect other people that live in the building.
• Remember that you are not on a college campus and not in your own home. Respect the property and get out of the “college campus” mentality.
• Talk to your roommates if they do something that bothers you. Talking it through is the easiest way to solve a small problem before it gets bigger.
• Talk to the staff if a problem arises and you cannot work it out with your roommates.

Warning process:

• If any of the above rules are broken, you will receive a first verbal warning. This warning will also be written and sent to your sending study abroad program and your home school.
• The second infraction of any of the above rules will result in an eviction from your apartment. You will need to find a new place to live at your own expense.
• Please read through all of our behavior policies noted in the CISabroad Policy Handbook, located in your CISabroad portal.