How do I apply for housing?

Apply for housing at UC Berkeley through our Housing Application portal:

Apply for Housing

• Use your CalNet ID to apply for housing after you accept your offer of admission.
• We offer full year contracts that go from Aug - July.
• Contracts are sent via email, so make sure your email address is up to date on your Cal Central profile.
• Summer housing options are available through a separate application.

For additional application resources, visit:

• How to Apply for Housing: New Students
• Housing Application Tutorials
• Dates & Deadlines
• ADA Accommodations & Identity-Based Needs

What if I am having trouble logging in?
If students are having issues logging into their CalNew they will follow the instructions listed out here.https://calnet.berkeley.edu/calnet-me/manage-my-calnet-account#forgot

Can I fill out an application online?
Yes, the application process is fully digital. You can access the online application by logging into UC Berkely Housing portal with your CalNet credentials.

Can I sign the lease on my own?

• Students over 18 years of age may accept their housing contracts online.
• Students under 18 must have a parent or legal guardian accept their housing contracts. Your parent or legal guardian will be required to provide their name, address, and relationship to the contract holder. The parent or legal guardian will be required to agree to and accept the terms of the contract.

How long after I apply will I receive a lease offer?
Students will receive their housing offer immediately upon filling out the application and paying the $40 application fee.

What is an individual lease?
An individual lease provides each resident with their own separate lease agreement and responsibility for only his/her rental installments and applicable utility and parking charges. By signing an individual lease, you are only taking responsibility for your rental installments and lease terms and will not be held liable for any delinquent amounts owed by your roommate(s).

Do you send me a bill every month?
The balance of the annual room and board fee may be paid in a lump sum prior to occupancy, or in monthly installments. Installment payments are due every month from August 2025 through July 2026. 12 housing installments will be shown on Cal Central in My Finances. Your account will indicate the specific date your payment is due. It is your responsibility to ensure that payments are received by the Campus Billing and Payment Office on time, or you may be subject to sanctions. Any sanctions will be shown on your Cal Central. Fees will also be assessed for any returned checks, and you are liable under Civil Code section 1719 for triple the amount of the check (a minimum of $100 and a maximum of $1,500) if you have not provided funds necessary to cover the check within 30 days following a written demand.

How can I make a payment?
Payments can be made in your student account. Installments will be shown on Cal Central in My Finances.

What is an installment?
The typical lease term is approximately 11.5 months of occupancy which coincides with the university’s academic calendar. The resident is charged a total rent amount for the contracted occupancy period. The lease agreement will reflect the total rent amount typically divided into 12 equal installments.  These installments do not represent a monthly rent amount and are not prorated. 

When are installments due?
Per their housing contract “Your account will indicate the specific date your payment is due".

Can I have my pet live with me?
We do not allow pets to live on site. However, “if you require a service or emotional support animal, please refer to the ADA Accommodations page, and scroll down to the Typical Accommodations Offered section, where you will find information about Service and Support Animals. Please fill out the Service Dog Acknowledgment and Emotional Support Animal Approval Application form found in that section.”

Can I apply without a guarantor?
We require each undergraduate applicant to have a guarantor. If you are over 25, a graduate student, or willing to pay the full lease contract amount prior to its commencement, you may qualify to be a self-guarantor. 

Can I be my own guarantor?
A resident can act as their own guarantor if they are a graduate student or the entire lease contract is paid in full at lease signing.

What paperwork is required with a guarantor?
The guarantor will need to sign the lease agreement. If the resident is not of legal age to execute a contract, the guarantor will be required to sign the lease on behalf of the leaseholder as well.

When is a guarantor required?
All undergraduate students require a guarantor. Graduate students do not require a guarantor.

Are there insurance requirements for signing a lease at the community?
The University of California highly recommends that Residents consider purchasing personal property insurance. Residents are liable for any and all damages they cause, including but not limited to their personal property, university-owned property, and the property of others.

Am I allowed to request a specific unit?
You can list your preferences on your housing application, and we will do our best to place you in the unit that fits those requests. All requests are served on a first-come, first-served basis and are taken in order based on the date your lease was received.

Can I request specific roommates?
Students who want to live together should list each other as roommates on their residence-hall applications, using full names and SIDs. They should also make matching lists of housing and environmental preferences. The Cal Housing Assignments Office will make every effort to match mutually requested roommates, as spaces allow - matches are not guaranteed.

How do I pronounce xučyun ruwway?
xučyun ruwway is pronounced HOOCH-yoon ROO-why.

Where does the name come from?
The name was a generous gift from the Ohlone community. In Chochenyo, the language of the Ohlone people, “xučyun” is the name of the region within the ancestral and unceded homeland of the East Bay Ohlone people, and “ruwway” means a home or a house.