Finding Housing @ UC Berkeley

Welcome!• Presenters:

– Amy Griggs, Lead Advisor for Undergraduate Student Services, Berkeley International Office

– Marney Randle, Resident Director, Residential & Housing Services– Elaine Perkins, Coordinator, Cal Rentals

Overview• Points to consider• How to find housing• Costs• On vs. off campus• Types of housing• Where to live• Signing a housing

contract

Points to Consider• Decisions to make:

– Would you like to live on or off campus? – Would you like a meal plan? – Will you live alone?– Where will you live? – How long do you want your commute to be? – What is your budget? – Do you know which area around campus fits you best?– Where are the majority of campus buildings you will use?

Where to Search

• Online– Craigslist -

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/– Padmapper -

http://www.padmapper.com/– Apartments.com -

http://www.apartments.com/– Cal Rentals -

calrentals.housing.berkeley.edu/

Where to Search• Friends or current

Berkeley students• UCB Housing

Group on Facebook• Roommate Search

Tool

Cal Rentals2610 Channing Way, 2nd Floor

https://calrentals.housing.berkeley.eduPhone: (510) 642-3644

Email: homeinfo@berkeley.edu

What is Cal Rentals?• We are a rental housing listing service for the UC Berkeley

community.

• We assist university affiliates find off campus housing.

• We are NOT Craigslist.

Typical Rent RangesType of Housing Berkeley Average Cost in 2014

Room in shared apartment or house $905

Studio apartment $1,337

One bedroom apartment $1,737

Two bedroom apartment or house $2,457

Three bedroom or larger house (Three bedroom apartments are rare)

$4,025

Private Rooming Houses• Group living environments.

• Privately owned and operated.

• Various amenities, meal plan options, prices.

• Academic Year leases available.

• A list of Berkeley Private Rooming Houses are available via

email.

On Campus vs. Off Campus Cost of Living

On Campus• Prices are based on type of

room (Single, Double, Triple, Suite), not the location of the room

• Prices range from $12,726 to $18,210– Includes electricity, cable,

internet, water, etc.– Includes maintenance costs

• Full list of rates can be found here: http://www.housing.berkeley.edu/livingatcal/rates.html

Off Campus• Prices vary• Utilities (Electricity, Cable,

Water) are typically not included

• Set up costs for utilities• Typically no lock out

services• Locksmiths can cost over

$200 and may not make house calls at night

On Campus Housing• Residence Life

– Undergrad and Graduate• Graduate Student Housing

– Private rooms– Family housing

Highs and Lows of Living On CampusBenefits• Academic Service Center• Lockout Services• Faculty in Residence Program• Dining Halls• Leadership Opportunities

– Hall Association [Government]– Residence Hall Assembly – Residential Sustainability Program– Peer Review Board– National Residence Hall Honorary – Security Monitors (Paid Positions)– Health Workers – Peer Advisors – Hall Staff

• Increased safety/security • Fun Events• Easier to meet people

Things to Be Aware Of • Alcohol and smoking policies

are strictly enforced. • No one under the age of 21 is

allowed to drink.• No smoking allowed on

campus• No drugs allowed on campus,

including marijuana…even if you have a medical marijuana card

• Potentially more costly • Most residence halls will

close during Winter and Summer Breaks, so you would not be able to access your room during those times.

• Channing Bowditch and Graduate Student Housing stay open all year.

• Higher GPA’s • Hall Staff Support

• Campus Resources• Roommate

mediation• Policy Enforcement

Undergraduate Housing• Unit 1

– 6 Buildings– 1 Substance Free Living Building– African American Theme Program– Native American Theme Program

• Unit 2– 6 Buildings – Asian & Pacific Island Theme House

• Unit 3– 6 Buildings – Casa Magdalena Mora – UNITY Gender & Sexuality Theme Program – Channing Bowditch Undergraduate Apartments

• Unit 4– Bowles All Male Building– Stern All Female Building and Women in Science & Engineering Theme Program (WISE)

• Clark Kerr Campus– Many smaller buildings– Global Environmental Theme Program

• Maximino Martinez Commons– Sophomore Students

Graduate Housing• Ida Louise Jackson

Graduate House• Single bedrooms, shared

apartments • Manville Apartments

• Single studio apartments • University Village Family

Housing• Townhouses and

Apartments

Housing Application Timelines Undergraduate Housing• Fall 2015 Freshmen: May 7th, 2015

Graduate Students• Rolling Deadline

Waitlists

Need more info?Undergraduate & Graduate Housing: http://housing.berkeley.edu

University Village: http://www.housing.berkeley.edu/livingatcal/universityvillage.html

Off Campus Housing• Greek life• Neighborhoods• iHouse• Co-ops

Greek Life• Fraternities and Sororities • Leadership, Scholarship, Friendship & Service• Some have housing options (available for future)• Must apply for and join a Fraternity or Sorority• http://lead.berkeley.edu/greek

Campus Neighborhoods

Campus

Northside

Southside

Westside

Northside• More expensive• Generally, apartments and housings are nicer• Quieter• Close to grocery stores• Grad students• More limited selection• Farther away from campus• Few buses

Westside• Close to BART and downtown Berkeley• Lots of buses• Close to several grocery stores and shops• Can be more expensive due to proximity • Limited selection• Can be far away from many campus events due to location

Southside• Often cheaper, can be lower quality• Wide variety of places to chose from• Close to BART, and many buses• Generally more “student friendly” • Close to shops• Can get loud on weekends

Co-Ops• Cooperative: large residence, membership based where

members share resources and everyone collaborates • Personally maintain residence• Can be themed• Very social• Many rooms available• Can be cheaper• www.berkeleystudentcooperative.org

iHouse• Popular option for graduates

and EAP students• Open to both international and

domestic students• Resident Support Services:

Resident Assistants, Program Office, Events etc.

• Meal plan• Northside of Campus• Rates vary from $14,691 -

$18,924 per academic year• Berkeley International Office is

here!• http://ihouse.berkeley.edu/

Signing a Housing Contract• Agreement between two parties usually enforceable by law• If it is important to you, read the whole contract• Don’t sign if you are not clear• Read the fine print• Be brave, ask questions

Be Aware of Scams• These primarily appear as online advertisements on (sites

such as craigslist.org). The contact person will insist that you send them money for housing accommodations even though you have not yet visited the property in person. When students show up to the address, the place is unavailable.

• If you are required to wire money ahead of time, please be sure the housing post is legitimate

UC Berkeley Temporary Housing• Early move in and temporary housing

– http://internationaloffice.berkeley.edu/summer_housing – Reservations open June 1st, 2015

From Current Students*• Average monthly rent: $1065• In order to secure housing, 52% said it cost them more than $1,500

(security deposit, first month’s rent, etc.)• Most students arrived 2-3 weeks before classes began• 43% found housing before arriving to Berkeley• Finding listings and communication with rental companies/landlords can

be challenging• Most students live in South Berkeley • 70% have roommates• Tips:

– Start early– Cheaper and easier to search from Berkeley than from home country– Consider the co-ops– Check out the apartment in person to – Be prepared to rent a temporary place (hotels, hostels, AirBnB)

*2015 Berkeley International Office Housing Survey results

Questions?• Contact information:

– Amy Griggs - akgriggs@berkeley.edu– Marney Randle – marney.randle@berkeley.edu– Elaine Perkins - eperkins@berkeley.edu

– reshall@Berkeley.edu for graduate housing questions– apts@Berkeley.edu for University Village

Some information adapted from International Students Association at Berkeley (ISAB) Finding Housing presentation

http://isab.berkeley.edu/