Living at Cal

Family Student Housing - Frequently Asked Questions

How can I view an apartment?

We highly recommend viewing the apartment before you accept an offer. To make an appointment, please contact the Cal Housing Office at (510) 642-4109 or at apts@berkeley.edu. Please note that appointments need to be made with at least 48 hours notice.

If you are unable to view an apartment, we suggest looking at the University Village and Smyth Fernwald maps to view the location of your apartment offer:

View map of University Village Albany

What is the difference between an INACTIVE and ACTIVE status on the wait list?

INACTIVE – Your application is incomplete and missing documentation. We are unable to make offers to the INACTIVE wait list, unless we have exhausted the ACTIVE wait list. Regardless, if you still want housing, please submit all necessary documentation to complete your application as soon as possible. Official housing offers can only be made after the application is complete.

ACTIVE – Your application is complete and all documentation has been submitted. You are eligible to be offered housing.

What happens if I decline an offer?

We will ask if you would like to remain on the wait list and for your new want date. Your position on the wait list will not change if you decline an offer. Your wait list position only changes when someone with a higher priority submits an application.

What happens if my want date passes without receiving an offer?

If you are still interested in receiving housing, please contact the Cal Housing Office [(510) 642-4109 or apts@berkeley.edu] to update your preferences and want date. If we do not hear from you after your want date passes, then we will assume that you are no longer interested in Family Student Housing and will cancel your application.

**NOTE: INACTIVE applicants with an expired want date will have their application cancelled. Please contact the Cal Housing Office [(510) 642-4109 or apts@berkeley.edu] if you are still interested in housing and would like to remain on the wait list.**

How is priority determined in Family Student Housing?

Clients are housed according to the following priority below:

Postdocs/Visiting Scholars will be offered housing only when there are no students on the wait list and only for vacancies in University Village in Albany.

**Please note that your wait list position will change if a person applies with a higher priority than yours. **

If I am offered housing, for how long is my contract? Do I have to provide notice when vacating my apartment?

The Family Student Housing (FSH) agreement is month-to-month. When you decide to leave FSH, you must complete and submit an Intent to Vacate (IV) notice at least 30 days before you will vacate your unit. You may download the IV form at our website at: http://www.housing.berkeley.edu/housing/family/intent_to_vacate.pdf

Or you may pick one up from the Cal Housing Office at 2610 Channing Way in Berkeley or the Village Office at 1125 Jackson Street in Albany. The IV form may be submitted to either the Cal Housing or Village Office. Please remember that you must submit it 30 days before the day you intend to vacate. You can also submit the IV via a scanned attachment email to apts@berkeley.edu, or fax to (510) 642-4026.

How soon can I expect to receive an offer?

Housing offers are determined by a number of factors: when you apply, your priority, the length of the wait list, how many apartments we have available and the time of year (the summer months and the beginning of spring semester tend to be our most busy times of the year). Typically, we will begin making offers about a month before your want date. Since our tenants are on a month-to-month agreement they can vacate their apartment at any time providing at least 30 days notice, and therefore we cannot predict or guarantee that something will be available when you need to move in. We are unaware of what apartments will be available in the future until we receive a vacate notice from our tenants.

**Postdocs/Visiting Scholars: Please remember that students get priority for available apartments.**

We will notify you by email when an apartment becomes available and your name is reached on the wait list. Please be sure to check your email.

Is subletting allowed in Family Student Housing?

Summer subleasing to UC affiliates is allowed during May to August.

**All sublets MUST be approved by Cal Housing. For information about subletting, please contact the Cal Housing Office at 510-642-4109 or apts@berkeley.edu.

Is Family Student Housing guaranteed?

No. The best way to increase your chances of receiving housing is to apply early, get your name on the wait list, and be flexible with your housing preferences.

We also recommend looking elsewhere for housing besides FSH, since housing is not guaranteed. We suggest checking out Cal Rentals, which can aid you in looking for housing in the private market. Cal Rentals provides listings and guidance to help you find the housing right for you. Their website is https://calrentals.housing.berkeley.edu/ and their phone is (510) 642-3644.

Can I transfer to a different apartment in Family Student Housing?

Transfers within Family Student Housing are not guaranteed, and your ability to transfer will depend upon a number of factors. New eligible applicants on the wait list receive priority for vacant apartments. Residents wishing to transfer should first review the Family Student Housing transfer policy.

If you meet our transfer criteria, please submit a transfer application and the appropriate supporting documents to the Cal Housing Office, 2610 Channing Way, Berkeley, CA 94720-2272, (510) 642-4109, apts@berkeley.edu. If your request is approved, and there are no new eligible applicants on the wait list, you will receive an offer according to your position on the transfer list.

Do Family Student Housing apartments come furnished?

No. Each apartment will be equipped only with a stove and a refrigerator.

What utilities are included in University Village in Albany (UVA) and Smyth Fernwald rents?

UVA – Water, garbage, recycling, gas, electricity and landscaping, internet, and basic cable

Smyth Fernwald – Water, garbage, recycling, gas, and electricity. One parking space will be reserved for each apartment, but a parking permit must be purchased separately. Internet and cable must be purchased separately as well.

**Phone Service – You must activate your own account for both UVA and Smyth Fernwald.**

What type of apartments does University Village in Albany offer?

University Village in Albany (UVA) is composed of West and East Village

West Village offers the following housing options:
1 bedroom, 1 bath flat
2 bedroom, 2 bath flat (sizes may differ)
3 bedroom, 1 ½ bath flat

Note: West Village units can be located on the first, second and third floors.

East Village offers the following housing options:
2 bed, 1 bath flat
2 bed, 2 bath flat
2 bed, 1 bath townhouse (sizes may differ)
2 bed, 2 bath townhouse
2 bed, 2 bath townhouse w/study
3 bed, 1 bath flat
3 bed, 2 bath flat

Notes about East Village townhouses:
**A townhouse is a two-story unit. In East Village the townhouses can be located on either the first and second floors or the second and third floors. A townhouse located on the second and third floors includes a first set of stairs to reach the second floor.

**Also note that Buildings 100-117 CANNOT accommodate a queen-sized box spring mattress. These buildings can accommodate a queen-sized bed only if a split box spring is purchased.