If you’re applying for undergraduate student housing, it’s important to understand the process. Review the steps below to stay informed about key details, and submit your application through our Housing Portal. We look forward to welcoming you to campus!
Undergraduate housing contracts are available for the full academic year or for summer housing. Limited spring housing openings may be available each year. If you are graduating or studying abroad for spring term, you may apply for housing, engage in a full academic year housing agreement, and place a cancellation request along with supporting documentation around your spring registration status.
How to complete your housing application
Housing application and offer deadlines are strictly enforced. Make sure to meet all deadlines to be considered for campus housing. Complete the steps below to submit your undergraduate housing application. This guide is for new admit, transfer, and continuing undergraduate students.
Update your student records, then select your application term.
Indicate your housing preferences, including “any room size, any location.”
Provide emergency contact and FERPA student privacy releases.
Submit a roommate profile.
Indicate any ADA accommodations or identity-based needs and submit a request form.
If you want to live in theme housing, submit your essay.
Submit your application by the deadline and wait for your offer!
Read details about each step below.
New students: You will be prompted to create your CalNet identification in CalCentral after accepting your admission to UC Berkeley. It may take a few days for your CalNet ID to activate; after it does, you will be able to log in to the Housing Portal to complete a housing application.
Continuing students: If you are having issues with your CalNet credentials, reach out to the IT Help Desk for CalNet Support.
Make sure you have completed your student record profile in the Housing Portal. We encourage you to create a Web Screen Name, which is used to identify friends to add to your roommate group in the roommate request process.
Next, select the application term that corresponds to the application you are planning to submit. As an undergraduate, you will have the option to select either Residence Hall or Family Housing; unless you are applying with a family, select Residence Hall. Note: The Residence Hall category also includes undergraduate apartments.
Students who do not indicate “any room size, any location” risk not receiving a housing offer. You can specify five preferences on your housing application.
List your five choices in order of preference. For each preference, select a housing complex location and then a preferred room type within that location, for example, a triple room. Be flexible in your options!
Choose "any room size, any location" as your fifth preference to maximize your chances of receiving a housing offer.
Important note for new students: In order to be eligible for UC Berkeley’s Housing Guarantee, you are required to choose “any room size, any location” as one of your preferences, and meet all other conditions and deadlines. The guarantee does not ensure any specific room type, location, or amenity.
Provide UC Berkeley Housing with your preferred emergency contacts in the case of an emergency. Complete any desired FERPA student privacy releases to authorize family members or friends to receive access to your billing and housing information.
The responses to your roommate profile will help match you with suitable roommates, apartment-mates, or suite-mates.
You may also request roommates by creating a roommate group. Read How to Apply with a Roommate for details about forming a group and confirming your room choices. We try our best to honor roommate requests but are sometimes unable to do so. To maximize the chance of being placed together, we recommend:
All members of the roommate group have identical housing preferences.
Have roommate groups of three people or less.
All members have the same floor environment preference to avoid being split up, e.g., single-gender, either, or all-gender.
In the “Accommodations” section, specify your needs, whether disability or medical condition (ADA), gender-inclusive housing, religious or cultural request, dietary restrictions, etc.
Please note that you will also need to Apply for Housing Accommodations in addition to submitting the housing application. The Housing Accommodations request form is separate from the housing application. The forms are available in the Housing Portal when you reach this step in your housing application and will also be emailed to you automatically after completing this step. Be sure to submit a request form to apply for the accommodation that matches your needs:
Newly admitted undergraduates may select up to three Theme Programs and will need to submit a short essay to apply for each. The essays should explain why you are interested and want to participate in a particular theme program. Each essay can be up to 500 words. Be sure to review your selected Theme Program’s requirements and expectations.
The final step is paying the non-refundable $45 application fee. Be sure to click “Submit Application” to get to the last page of the application. You will receive a confirmation email noting your housing application was submitted. If you do not receive this email, please reach out to reshall@berkeley.edu immediately.
New students admitted off the UC Berkeley wait list will still receive a housing guarantee if they meet all the eligibility conditions. To qualify, you will need to complete the housing application by your admissions acceptance deadline and include “any room size, any location” as one of your housing preferences.
Housing offers and room assignments
After each housing application deadline, UC Berkeley Housing will process applications and begin extending offers by email. Be sure to check your email regularly when you are waiting for an offer. You will be able to view and accept your housing offer through the Housing Portal. For details about how UC Berkeley housing offers are determined, visit Undergraduate Assignment Process and Offers.
Be sure to accept your housing offer
You must accept your housing offer by the deadline to reserve your space in campus housing. The deadline to accept your housing offer is usually within five days of the housing offer date. For details about accepting or declining your housing offer, visit How to Read Your Offer: Undergraduate Housing.