Rome Apartment for September. Also, possible second location close to Rome.

Take a train to Sulmona..lovely small city to wander around and do day trips.

If you search for Casa Pantheon, hosted by Tina, we stayed there with another couple in 2017. It is still listed and has excellent reviews. The hosts were great. I think it meets your criteria. Good luck finding a good apartment.

Thank you Ekscrunchy and Barbara! I will be looking into both of those suggestions.

I'm a big fan of Orvieto, which has a lovely hilltop historic center and quite a lot of actual sightseeing opportunities--more than you'll find in a typical hilltown.

I want to make it clear, however, that Orvieto isn't an undiscovered place. It's in Rick's book, so American travelers know about it, and it seems to be a popular getaway for Romans (my speculation). The center of the historic area will be very busy in September. I think perhaps being there during the week would help somewhat.

There's an InterCity train departing (weekdays, at least) at 10:22 AM and arriving in Orvieto at 11:37 AM. There are earlier trains, but they are slower and take around 2 hours.

When heading to Orvieto, you need to budget some extra time, because the train station is located below the historic area; one takes a funicular (more fun) or bus up to the center. That adds some time. For a more realistic estimate of arrival time, choose Orvieto Centro as the destination.

We stayed here for 4 nights in early January 2024, really liked it, and would definitely stay here again:

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/12320816?source_impression_id=p3_1741480299_P3wToClwGjW32usM

It is popular and almost all booked up for September, but somebody might cancel. I always wonder if some people reserve a bunch of apartments and then finally decide on one and cancel the others.

Here's my review from then:

Elena's apartment was ideal for us. Two ensuite bathrooms, everything worked well including wifi and showers, quiet but in an interesting and lively neighborhood full of restaurants and shops, a much-appreciated elevator, best equipped kitchen including tea kettle and mugs, personality and charm without clutter, and comfortable. Elena was very helpful in working out the check-in times and details, and also booked us airport transport. Thank you, Elena!

On a previous trip, in December 2021, we also enjoyed this apartment: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/17386216?source_impression_id=p3_1741481610_P3n7ON7H5ZaLjjxu

It does have openings in September, presumably because it's not as central --- it's near the Mercato Trionfale. But there are plenty of bus stops and it's near the Cipro metro station. Very nice host.

Here's my review:

This apartment was in a new neighborhood for us and we found it to be convenient to several useful bus lines, interesting to walk around in, close to Bonci's bakery and Pizzarium, and excellent for visiting the Trionfale market in the mornings. We enjoy staying in areas like Testaccio and Garbatella that are slightly outside the usual tourist areas --- we would definitely stay in this neighborhood and this apartment again!
Antico Falcone, our host's recommendation for a nearby classic osteria, was perfect, with really good food and atmosphere.
Extra nice to have an oven in the kitchen and a combo washing machine and dryer.
The shower was by far my favorite of our whole 5 week trip --- easy to use and to get in and out of. The beds are very comfortable and there are shutters to darken the rooms for sleeping.
The host, Lina, explained how everything worked and was very accommodating about check-in and check-out times. Also drove us to the airport!

We prefer neighborhoods like these two, and also the neighborhood of Testaccio northwest of the Piramide metro station. I think you'll find bigger and less expensive apartments just a bit away from where all the other tourists want to stay.

For a second location, it is hard to beat Orvieto. We liked our apartment there, too, in November 2021, but only one bathroom --- it is available for quite a few days in September: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/12501343?source_impression_id=p3_1741482631_P3CAzgXuJ6NgDkBR

You could also try Narni for a 2nd location: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/2713075?source_impression_id=p3_1741483098_P3K86jx1RIsCX6Zo

We were there in early December 2021 --- it shows no availability at all, but I think it's worth messaging the owner. He lives in Rome and stays in Narni as his peaceful getaway place, so I bet he doesn't want to have it booked far ahead of time.

My review:
Spacious, comfy, quiet apartment with great views. Perfect location in a pleasant town. Everything works well and the kitchen is extremely well equipped. Nice to have two couches in the living room. Both beds are very comfortable —- especially the one in the main bedroom. Terra & Arte was a wonderfully tasty and fun place to eat. Easy to park your car in the free lot and go on day trips, also easy to take the train to Rome. Highly recommended!

Thank you Nancys8 and Acraven! Orvieto is now the list as well. Sounds like a great place to explore from Rome for a day or two during the week. I appreciate all the great information.

These are the apartments in which we have stayed each time we have visited Rome since 2010. The location and price cannot be beat. We usually stay in the Blue apartment (no terrace or balcony) and did so again this past November/December, but our son and his family stayed in the Pink apartment which has a lovely terrace…as does the Yellow, I think. All the apartments have a washing machine and separate dryer.
The building is located on Via dei Giubbonari (a pedestrian only street) between Campo dei Fiori and Largo Argentino…and a quick walk across Ponte Sisto to Trastevere.
The apartments are popular, so I am not sure if there is availability for your exact time period, but it is worth a check.
https://www.floraliahomes.com/

I would also highly recommend https://www.floraliahomes.com/
The Yellow flat is wonderful and the staff are outstanding. When we were in Rome in 2023 and staying at the flat my sister broke her leg and had to be flown home - the staff were a tremendous help with many local details I had to sort out. The flats are beautiful, the views from the terraces are fabulous. We would stay there every time however all the flats rent very quickly - if you are going in September - book now!

Thank you JJ's and Jconsol! The apartments looks exactly what we were looking for, especially the yellow and pink. We love/require a deck. Anyways, they are so popular they are booked during the times of our visit! Uggg! Price looked great as well. No worries though because we are going back, and I have friends going next year that I will pass this onto. Thanks for sharing!

My husband and I stayed in an apartment near Piazza Navona and the Pantheon in September 2022. It meets all of your criteria except it only has one bathroom. If you can’t find a place with two bathrooms, you might consider it. They are showing availability for most of September. It’s on VRBO and is called Navona, Campo de Fiori - Penthouse Terraced. I thought the location was superb — very central and quiet at night. I would stay there again.