All You Need to Know about Housing in Berkeley

Where to live, how to choose, how to find, what to do

ISAB and BIO co-present:

FINDING APARTMENTS/HOUSES

Probably what you need right now

Where to Begin Search• Know what you want– Budget?– Period?– Roommates?– Area?

• Search online• Ask your friends• Contact property companies

Searching Craigslist• sfbay.craigslist.orgmost widely used

medium• Search under “housing” • Type: room, apartment, house, sin-

gle, …• Area: East Bay Berkeley• Min or max price• Google map

Cal Rentals• calrentals.housing.berkeley.edu• UC Berkeley community rental re-

source• Information about the rental market,

advice for conducting a housing search, rental listings

• Students pay only $20 for 3 months of listing access. Faculty & Staff pay $25 for 1 month of listing access

COMMON ARRANGEMENTSJust some suggestions

Common Room Arrange-ment

• Apartments– 2 in 1 bedroom (~$1,200/mo)– 4 in 2 bedroom (~$2500/mo)– 3 in 2 bedroom, with one using the living

room • Houses– Single starting from $600– Double starting from $500

Common Pricing Options• Generally anywhere between $450/

mo (4 in 2 bedrm) and $800/mo (3 in 2 bedrm) per person

• Maximum $1,000 (board not in-cluded) unless living alone in an apartment (~$1200 if living in a stu-dio or a 1-bed)

WHERE TO LIVEKnow your neighborhood

Around the Campus

The South SidePros• Often cheaper (though less

clean)• wide range of places to

choose from • closer to downtown Berke-

ley (BART, food, shops)• closer to fraternities• generally more accepting

of house parties• Close to Walgreen’s, Berke-

ley Bowl (further south)

Cons• takes a while to find a

place that strikes the perfect balance be-tween price and qual-ity

• Less safe—Telegraph, People’s Park

• can get really loud on weekends

The North SidePros Cons

• Generally more ex-pensive

• housing selections slightly more limited

• farther away from a lot of the campus events, since most happens near South

• Not too many buses

• safer, a richer and more attractive (scenery wise) environment,

• apartments/houses gen-erally more modern and nice

• Closer to co-ops—meal plans

• quieter • Close to Safeway and

Andronico’s

The West SidePros• Safer, brighter• Close to BART• All the buses come to

BART—you can go up the campus on a bus

• Close to shops on Shattuck as well as other grocery stores (Trader Joe’s, Safeway, Andronico’s)

Cons• Tends to cost more

(nicer apartments)• Housing selections

slightly more limited• farther away from a

lot of the campus events, since most happen near South

Helpful to Consider• Your major or job—which buildings

will you visit most often?• Safe and convenient neighborhood• Convenient laundry• Light through the window• No molds! (health hazard)

Other Options• Family options:– University Village, Albany– Emeryville

• Oakland• San Francisco• Walnut Creek

Liked This Option? Now:• Submit an application• Pay for credit check. Note: If you

don’t have any credits because you are an int’l students, you may print out and give your bank statement to your manager or landlord

• Pay deposit and/or sign the lease reserve your space and the contract is on

FOR NEXT SEMESTERIt’s not too late

Dorms or On-Campus Apartments

• Main dorms reserved for freshmen and sophomores

• Dorm apartments reserved for up-perclassmen: Wada, Channing & Bowditch

• Grad-only apartments available• Safe and well-maintained• RAs and events available

Co-ops• berkeleystudentcooperative.org• Application needed• Cheaper—students take care of themselves• Themed housing available. Unique experi-

ences• Social and fun• Leadership opportunities available• More rooms available in Spring + priorities

for EAP

Fraternity Houses• Join one• Live in one• Brotherhood/sisterhood + fun events

+ philanthropy • Check with each

I-House• Cosmopolitan• Discount trips for residents & mem-

bers• Events:– Speaker events– Language tables in the dining hall

• Easy access to campus• Meal points

For More Information…ISAB: International Students Associ-ation at Berkeley• isab.berkeley.edu: Resources and

events available• isab.officer@gmail.com: questions and

comments• Join our mailing list: receive updates on

latest news or events!• Find us on Facebook

QUESTIONS?