Home / Apply / Apply for Housing Accommodations

Apply for Housing Accommodations

UC Berkeley Housing is committed to equity, access, and inclusion. We strive to encourage a culture of care through the principles of inclusion, diversity, and social justice. As a vital part of this mission, UC Berkeley Housing works to provide reasonable accommodations or inclusive spaces to students based upon their disability, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religious or spiritual identity, and other identity statuses.

This page provides an overview of the accommodations available, the process involved in obtaining them, and other information to help you find campus housing that meets your needs.

Contact the Housing Accommodations Team

If you have further questions about accommodations or require assistance, please get in touch with the Housing Accommodations team at housingaccommodations@berkeley.edu.

Click the links to jump directly to the section below. 

Types of accommodations

For details about each type of accommodation, visit the pages linked below.

Accommodations deadlines

Meeting deadlines is critical to ensure priority consideration for housing accommodations. Submit your housing application, accommodations request form, and any supporting documentation by the housing application deadline relevant to you. Submission deadlines are available on the Dates and Deadlines page.

Accommodations requests submitted after the deadline will be processed on a space-available basis, which may result in limited options due to housing availability. While priority is given to students who provide documentation by the standard deadline, students may submit requests and documentation at any time during the academic year.

Documentation must be submitted before your application can be reviewed. Housing Accommodations reviews documentation daily. Due to the volume of applications received, it may take 10 to 15 business days for your documentation to be reviewed after you submit it. You will receive an email as soon as your documentation has been reviewed. In many cases, we may have follow-up questions for you, and you may need to submit an updated letter. This is part of the ADA interactive process.

Please note that if you submit your application and documentation after the deadline, it will still be reviewed. Many accommodation needs can still be met after the deadline, but we encourage you to apply as early as possible.

How to request housing accommodations

You must submit a housing accommodation request for each year that you apply for campus housing. Returning students need to re-submit accommodation forms.

  1. Submit your housing application.
    • Complete the housing application in the Housing Portal, including paying the application fee.
    • In the “Accommodations” section, specify your needs: e.g., disability or medical condition (ADA), gender-inclusive housing, dietary restrictions, etc.
  2. Submit an accommodations request form. Complete the form for the type of accommodation you requested. 
    • Forms are both linked in the Housing Portal and emailed to you after indicating your needs in your applications.
    • Due to limited housing inventory, priority is given to students who complete their forms by the deadlines. Requests made after the deadline will be considered on a space-available basis.
  3. Provide supporting documentation for ADA requests. If you are requesting an ADA accommodation, you will be asked to provide supporting information that establishes your need for accommodations in campus housing. Religious and other identity-based requests do not require documentation.
    • Submit documentation via the Secure Document Upload Portal; you must be logged in to your UC Berkeley Google account. Examples of supporting documentation are listed on the Medical and Accessibility Accommodations page.
    • Documentation may also be provided via email, fax, or delivered in person.
    • After documentation is submitted, you will receive an email response within 10 to 15 business days.
  4. Accept your housing offer by the deadline. The offer will include a deadline for you to respond, usually within five business days.
    • Offers are sent to the applicant’s berkeley.edu email address. Students also receive an email notification from Housing Accommodations.
    • If you received an offer but you believe it does not meet your needs, we recommend that you accept your current offer and submit a Housing Relocation Request, which allows you to be considered for a room relocation based on availability.
    • Priority consideration for a room relocation will be provided to students whose documentation clearly demonstrates that their current on-campus residence is not a reasonable accommodation for their needs.

Room relocation requests

Students may request a room relocation at any time if their assigned housing or current housing does not meet their needs. Priority consideration for a room relocation will be provided to students whose documentation clearly demonstrates that their current on-campus residence is not a reasonable accommodation for their needs. To apply for a room relocation, submit an updated request form for the type of accommodation you need.

  • For Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) relocation or service animal requests, provide supporting documentation from a qualified individual.
  • For identity-based relocation requests, provide details about your request, e.g., desired roommate or proximity to specific spaces. Documentation from a qualified individual is not required for identity-based requests.

A Housing Accommodations Specialist will review the request and identify an alternative space if available. Room relocations are subject to availability and are not guaranteed. If space is not available at the time, students approved for a room relocation as an accommodation may be placed on a priority wait list.

If a request for a room relocation is not granted through the Accommodations process, requests will be referred to the standard housing relocation process. Standard requests are processed based on submission date and housing availability. Note that room relocation requests are not guaranteed, and there is usually a long wait list. Family housing relocations have a separate process with limited qualifying criteria for relocation.

Appeals

If you have applied for housing accommodations and are not satisfied with the determination that was sent to you by email, you may consider the following options:

Additional resources

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) resources

Resources for students with disabilities and medical conditions.

Disabled Students Program (DSP): For accommodations in the classroom. Students seeking academic accommodations need to register and provide documentation to the DSP office.

Disability Access and Compliance office: Can assist students with requests for mobility access, communication access, and event access on the UC Berkeley campus. They can provide resources for accessibility with information about navigating the campus with a visual or mobility disability.

Emergency evacuation assistance: Students may self-identify as a person who may require evacuation assistance in the case of an emergency and request an individualized consultation.

LGBTQ+ resource

Resources for students who identify as LGBTQ+.

  • Unity House: LGBTQIA+ theme housing promoting community and support.
  • The GenEq Center is dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ students, women, and survivors of sexual violence.
  • The Division of Equity and Inclusion offers a broad range of resources and support for students with historically marginalized identities.

Policy statements

Privacy: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) supports student privacy by allowing university officials to release student records only to the student. University officials are prohibited from discussing student records with a student’s family members. As a result, we will only be able to discuss medical documents and detailed housing accommodation assignments with students, and not parents or guardians, unless the student fills out the FERPA release form in the housing portal. We are happy to talk about our typical accommodation processes with family members.

Nondiscrimination Policy Statement: The University of California, in accordance with applicable federal and state law and university policy, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer related or genetic characteristics), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or service in the uniformed services. The University also prohibits sexual harassment. This nondiscrimination policy covers admission, access, and treatment in University programs and activities. Inquiries regarding the University’s student-related nondiscrimination policies may be directed to the ADA/Section 504 Compliance Officer at access@berkeley.edu.