A month in Rome

I suggest checking vrbo.com. You can search by price and your individual wants in a neighborhood that meets your tourist plans. For the past 14 years I've been able to get a very nice apartment - with enough space to feel like I've moved in - for around $100 per night in the within a block or two of Piazza Navona. Having a kitchen means you can enjoy the fresh food markets. Rome is expensive? It can be but it is also a real city where not everyone wants to or can put down $50-70 for a meal. Try Carlo Menta in Trastevere - I did something from every course, including wine, coffee and after dinner drink, for much less than half that!

You may want to look at a few short term let websites and review their terms and conditions. I personally prefer Airbnb for consistent T&Rs across all rentals. AirBnB holds all money until 24 hours after you check in so if there are issues with the apartment, there is a period to try and fix the problems before the host has money in hand. Also, the security deposit is on your card and held by AirBnB. I don't like to deal with large amounts of cash, particularly in a currency I infrequently use, so I try to avoid safety deposits in cash on day or arrival.
Consider watching The Tour Guy YouTube on Where to Stay in Rome for neighbourhood recommendations. There are at least 3 that might suit. Tresteverre, Pyramid and the largely housing area near the Vatican.

Jo, how old is this single male and how is he planning to spend his time in Rome? That may help narrow down where he should hang a hat. For instance, a lively college student might be interested in the San Lorenzo neighborhood, near Università La Sapienza. Here's a little bit about it; you can easily research it more:

https://www.eatingeurope.com/blog/rome-neighborhoods-san-lorenzo-best-food/

But first take a look at a long-stay, private rental room (his own en-suite bath but shared kitchen and lounge areas) at The Beehive hostel, not far from Termini. It has gotten excellent reviews for a loooong time now, and he might enjoy having the company of others around to socialize with during his down time? Also a desk staff at hand, should he have questions or otherwise need assistance, might be welcome. Bonus: it has a self-serve laundry, and notes that it offers "deals with nearby restaurants and bars for cheap takeout / delivery." They publish pricing at €400 - €600 per month: that's really inexpensive so it could be right up his alley! Being just a couple blocks from main transport-hub Termini can also be considered a bonus, IMHO. All-in-all, it's a really convenient location at a bargain price.

https://www.the-beehive.com
https://www.the-beehive.com/long-stays

Editing to add: here are Hostel World's reviews for the Beehive. :O)
https://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/The-Beehive/Rome/82786

But really, there are few if any unsafe areas in central Rome. The only caution I'd offer up is not to try and save money by looking so far out of the center that he'd be using up a lot of time - and possibly $ - in daily commutes if the center is where he wants to spend most of his time.

Am oft overlooked source is www.sabbaticalhomes.com. These are often near universities and are usually offered by someone who will be away for months at a time. They can be reasonable in price. We rented one in Rome for 18 months.

Kathy’s caution about not staying too far out of the city center is a good one. We were 40 minutes by bus and about an hour walking from Campo de’ Fiori. Fine for living but a PITA when you are a traveler sightseeing.

There are decent take out options most anywhere in the city. Once you find a few suspects why don’t you post the locations here and we can help sort through?

Jo,

The Beehive is indeed an affordable and comfortable place to stay. I have enjoyed the accommodations at the hostel on two different trips. The location was very convenient to transportation (train, taxi) and is very well run by Linda and Steve. The breakfast (purchased separately) was delicious and filling and gave me the fuel every day to get going early. I have no experience with long term stays but am confident the folks at The Beehive will treat you fairly.

I stayed at the Beehive years ago and it is a very nice place. They make great meals in their kitchen and have a little side yard to enjoy their "happy hour" assuming they still offer it.

Perhaps you could look into their extended service called "cross-pollination", where they offer vetted B&B's for longer stays.
I hope the attached link works.

https://www.cross-pollinate.com/rome/bed-and-breakfast/4822/The-Beehive

Lars639, thanks for reminding me about Cross Pollinate. I read about it on some travel feed when they opened a few years ago. They had few options for my needs at the time so I forgot about it. I may usemit for my short sojourn in April.

I told him this was the place to check everyone is so helpful..I will pass this on. Thanks again

I've posted about this before, but I find Rome--done right--as one of the most value-driven places to spend time. Not expensive at all if you know how to do it.

In February 2017, without much trouble at all we found an efficiency apartment overlooking Campo de' Fiori piazza for $85/night, for a week. I know I could've done better (that time of year) for a month. 2nd-floor walk-up, skinny apartment but queen bed, galley kitchen, nice bathroom, plenty of closet space.

Where the value comes in is when you step outside. Everything to live is at your fingertips. Fruit market, mom-n-pop grocery, salumeria, bakery steps away. My wife and I got by for breakfast & lunch for probably under 10 Euro/day total, usually breakfast at the apartment and a take-away panini for lunch. Walking distance to any number of trattorias for dinner, we spent no more than 45-50 Euro total each night. So...food-wise for 2 people (including a the occasional espresso & daily gelato) was about 60 Euro/day, not skimping at all. Solo you can cut that in half, at least.

We did traverse the city a lot, so our weekly bus/Metro pass at 24 Euro came in handy. Probably needed 15 trips to make it worth the price, and we well surpassed that. Found a lavenderia for laundry around the corner, did wash once for around 10 Euro if memory serves.

And a bus to Termini beckons, to take you anywhere in Italy should you want to take a respite over the month. Second-class seats (we went to Orvieto for the day) were dirt-cheap, under 10 Euro each way.

Yeah, the above scenario is on my bucket list, once the world straightens out...

Sabbatical Homes is focused on academics but they do not discriminate in who can rent and our landlords were an elderly Italian couple so it seems there is a broad interpretation of who is able to post a property. These are all homes, though, full of personal possessions, not vacation rentals.

To save money on lodging, consider staying just "outside" Rome and busing/metro rail in. Trastevere is within walking distance. South of the Vatican near the train station is a residential area with bus stops. Near "St. Paul Outside the Walls" church - easy metro ride to colosseum area. Area near St. John Lateran - just outside the wall of Rome. Public Transportation access.

For more central location - check out places near/around Campo dei Fiori or Largo Argentina.

A reminder that 1st floor in Europe is our 2nd floor, if steps are an issue.