There's no denying it -- Berkeley is not an easy place to find off-campus housing. However, there are several steps that students can take to make their search as painless as possible.
With only about 30 percent of students living in on-campus or affiliated housing, most of the campus's 30,000 students end up living off-campus in apartments and houses.
According to Becky White, assistant director of community living with the Department of Housing and Dining Services, Berkeley is a very difficult housing market to crack.
"Of course there is a housing shortage," says White, "partly because of changes in Berkeley's rent control laws and partly due to the popularity of the Bay Area as a place to live and work. A lot of professional people are coming over from San Francisco to find cheaper housing in the East Bay and they are competing for the same apartments as our students."
A list of helpful housing resources is available online.
What's the situation with rent control?
Since 1980 Berkeley has had strong rent control laws that kept the cost of rentals artificially low for the area. A few years ago the laws started disintegrating and as of Jan. 1, Berkeley was left with something called vacancy de-control.
"Whenever an apartment becomes vacant, a landlord may charge whatever he thinks is market value on that unit," White explains. "We're finding that many times these rents will start out very high and within a couple of days, if the landlord gets a negative response, the rents will start to come down."
The lifting of rent control is a double-edged sword, says White. It makes renting out units increasingly profitable for homeowners and therefore encourages new rentals, but at the same time rents are getting more and more difficult for students to afford. The going rate for a studio apartment currently ranges between $650 and $950, she says. One bedroom apartments are going for $900 to $1000 and two-bedrooms are starting at $1,200.
What about just living in the dorms for another year?
All freshmen and transfer students entering Berkeley fall semester are guaranteed a space in the residence halls -- if they turn in their application on time and are willing to take any room they are assigned.
According to White, the guarantee is bad news for students currently living in the residence halls.
"In order to meet our guarantee for incoming freshmen and transfer students in the fall of '99, we will probably have to cut back on the number of continuing students who are able to have another year in the residence halls," says White. "Students living in the halls now shouldn't count on getting another year in the dorms, and if they do, it may not be an assignment they want."
When should students start looking for an apartment?
White suggests students start house-hunting 6-8 weeks before they want to move in.
However, don't start looking for housing too early, either, warns White.
"You can't look for August housing in March. Unless you're rich enough to carry the rent for several months, it just won't work. Landlords advertise for immediate occupancy."
According to White, the best time to look for housing is in April or May, when listings are most plentiful. However, if you do land an apartment, your lease will probably start in June.
What's the best way to conduct a housing search?
Consider modifying your expectations.
Almost every soon-to-be sophomore has one of two goals: finding the perfect little studio apartment across the street from campus or moving into a huge house with friends from the dorms.
In Berkeley's housing market, you just can't be that picky.
One option is shared housing. For between $350 and $650 per month, you'll get your own room in a shared apartment or house, usually with other students.
"Our recommendation for most students, particularly if looking late in the summer, is look at shared housing because it is more plentiful, easier to secure, and cheaper," says White.
Another option is to consider areas outside of Berkeley. In neighboring towns like Albany, Kensington, El Cerrito, and several Oakland neighborhoods you usually get more for your money and there's more for rent.
"A lot of these communities are easy bicycling distance from campus," says White, "or just a couple of BART stops or a short bus ride away."
Be accessible.
Once you start your search, you will be leaving lots of messages on landlords' answering machines. If you're lucky, some of the landlords will call you back. They usually have between 50 and 400 prospective tenants for any given unit, so if you don't answer your phone, they probably won't take the time to leave you a message. Your best bet is to carry a cellular phone with you at all times until you land a place to live. Many stores rent cell phones on a monthly basis, so you don't have to make a huge commitment to wireless communications.
Make a good impression on the landlord.
Dress neatly (don't wear a T-shirt that says rent is theft).
Don't giggle and make rude remarks about the rental unit.
Don't come across as a fussy person. Landlords don't want high maintenance tenants. The time to negotiate for improvements is after you've signed the rental agreement. All parties involved should be present when meeting a prospective landlord.
Bring a tenant resume when applying for an apartment. It should specify how you plan to pay your rent each month. A tenant resume form is available at the community living housing office at 2405 Bowditch Street.
What about other off-campus housing options?
There are three other well-established housing options in Berkeley: co-ops, fraternities/sororities, and International House. Each offers students a unique living experience.
The University Students' Cooperative Association (USCA), founded in 1933, houses about 1,280 students in 20 co-op houses and three apartment complexes close to campus. It is owned and operated by its members.
At co-op houses, room and board is $1,992 per semester, far cheaper than anything else around. In exchange for the low rates residents contribute five hours of labor each week to maintain the house. Apartment dwellers pay the same rent but meals are not included and the workload is lower.
Rooms at the co-ops are assigned based on seniority (how long the student has been a co-op member).
Fraternities/sororities have traditionally provided a family-style living environment for their members. Sororities still require that women be members in order to live in their houses but some fraternities now offer surplus housing to "non-brothers."
To gain "Greek" membership, students must participate in rush, which typically takes place the first week of classes each semester. Women wishing to rush must register by calling 642-RUSH.
International House provides housing for about 300 international students and the same number of domestic students. Located at the top of Bancroft Way, it is primarily a graduate student residence but also accommodates visiting scholars and undergraduates with junior or senior status. Rates range from about $3,000 to $4,500 per semester, including meals.
-- Tamara Keith
Copyright 1999, The Regents of the University of California.
Produced and maintained by the Office of Public Affairs, UC Berkeley.
Comments? E-mail calparents@pa.urel.berkeley.edu.