Hi! Sorry for the late response, but I was on my phone and I wanted to wait until I had access to my computer to give you a thorough answer.
So before I give you advice on how to find housing, I wanted to address the issue of dorms vs off-campus housing. I know a lot of transfers absolutely DO NOT want to live in a dorm, because of the dreaded idea of living with freshmen, especially when transfers are often a little older than their peers. I was totally one of these people last year, and I was dead-set on the idea of finding off campus housing.
Once I was actually tasked with finding housing, however, I realized that it was a lot harder than I thought. Because (annoyingly enough) transfers are admitted when the semester is winding down, the majority of good housing options have already been snatched up. And that’s saying something for a neighborhood where you’re luck to get a double for $800. Faced with this harsh reality, I decided to apply for on-campus housing, and was placed in the Clark Kerr dorm, where I am currently living.
I honestly think this was a great decision. You’ll be able to live in an apartment for the rest of your life after you graduate, but dorm life (both its good and bad parts) is something that you’ll never be able to experience again. And it actually worked out for me very well because both of my roommates and basically half of the people in my building are all transfers, which is great. For transfers that are a little older, do not fear! My next door neighbors are 25 and 30 years old, and they’re having a blast experiencing dorm life. Aside from being far from campus (I’ve learned to speed walk), I love Clark Kerr. It’s absolutely gorgeous, the rooms are spacious, and dining hall food sucks, as it does everywhere else. Having said all this, if you’re still set on living off campus (I know living on campus isn’t an option for some people financially; also transfers are unfortunately not guaranteed on-campus housing), here’s my advice in that regard.
In my opinion, the best way to find housing is through the housing Facebook pages, of which there are four (that I know of and use, at least):
- UC Berkeley Off Campus Housing
- Housing (30,000 members)
- Housing (10,000 members)
- Free & For Sale (this is a general flea market type sale page so it's a little less helpful, but housing stuff does appear from time to time)
The first thing you’re going to want to do is add yourself to all of these groups, and TURN ON PUSH NOTIFICATIONS FOR ALL POSTS. Housing is extremely competitive (even more than getting in to Berkeley tbh), so it is of utmost importance that you get to a post first!
A few quick facts about Berkeley Housing:
a) a DOUBLE is two people living in one room
b) a SINGLE is one person living in one room
c) a converted living room is when they turn a living room into a room by sectioning it off, so make sure to note this, because privacy can be an issue
Housing is available in three main areas:
- Southside, which is south of campus, duh. Southside is that best place to live because most students live here, it has all the late night joints, and Telegraph, the main street that leads to Oakland, runs through it
- Downtown, which is directly to the west of campus. Downtown has bougier restaurants, and a Target, CVS, etc. Downtown is usually a little pricier, but still ok.
- Northside, which is north of campus… Are there signs of human life in Northside? We will never know. All joking aside, it’s generally more residential, quiet, and less lit (in both meanings of the term), so much fewer students live here, hence the cheaper rent prices. It’s not the end of the world if you live in Northside, some people love it, I just personally am not a fan.
The next thing you’re going to want to do is figure out the living situation you want. This way, you know which posts to look out for and message. Here are a few scenarios:
Are you looking for housing alone? → Keep an eye out for posts that advertise one spot in a double or one spot in a single.
Are you looking for housing with a friend (so two people total) → Keep an eye out for posts that advertise 1 double, or two singles.
Another option is finding a group of people to live with, and then looking for a house together. This can be done through the transfer facebook page, or a special interest group (I have a friend who found roommates through the Muslim Student Association’s facebook page). Once you have a set group, then keep an eye out for facebook posts advertising entire apartments (beware of shady bots!)
When you find a post that fits what you’re looking for, immediately message the person who posted it! One issue with finding housing is that unless you live in the Bay, you can’t see the place for yourself. Also, anyone worth living with will most likely want to meet you in person, which is also hard.
In general, the closer you are to campus, the more expensive housing will be. Of course, pricing also depends on the size of the house/room, but I would say that a reasonably priced double shouldn’t be more than $850 after utilities, and a single shouldn’t be more than $1400.
I know this was crazy long, but housing is really awful and I wanted you to have the most thorough information possible. I hope this helped, and feel free to hit me up with any follow up questions.