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Family Housing Eligibility for Tenancy

The University of California, Berkeley, offers one Family Student Housing option: University Village in Albany. University Village is an active, supportive community for students juggling family and educational responsibilities. A month-to-month rental agreement is required.

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Who is eligible for UC Berkeley family student housing?

Eligible applicants must be a full-time registered UC Berkeley undergraduate or graduate student and meet one of the eligibility conditions for family student housing listed below. For scholar applicants, read Postdoctoral and visiting scholar applicant eligibility.

Eligibility and priority for family student housing:

  • Single and living with child(ren) under the age of 18 or dependent minor(s) for at least 50% of the year1
  • Married or in a domestic partnership and living with child(ren) or dependent minor(s) under the age of 18 for at least 50% of the year
  • Single and under the age of 18, dependent, and living with a parent or legal custodian
  • Couples, married or in a domestic partnership, without children
  • Single and living with a dependent over the age of 182
  • Graduate student with a partner, not married or in a domestic partnership, applying to the Couples Program
  • Postdoctoral scholar or visiting scholar

An enrolled student who elects to take a leave of absence because of pregnancy and/or disability can remain eligible and continue residing in family student housing, subject to the payment of applicable fees and supporting documentation.

Populations not eligible for family student housing

The following populations are not eligible for family student housing. New housing applications from the following categories will be cancelled without refund.

  • UC Berkeley students enrolled in part-time, weekend, or online professional degree programs
  • Single graduate, undergraduate, or re-entry students
  • Persons who have been evicted from family student housing
  • Persons who have previously breached a university rental agreement
  • Non UC Berkeley-affiliated Lawrence Berkeley National Lab personnel 
  • Staff

Eligibility criteria for apartment assignment

The following guidelines will be observed for an apartment to be assigned:

  • All family members must be in residence from the beginning of tenancy. 
  • All adult family members must live in residence full time, and all minor dependents must be in residence at least 50% of the time.
  • At least one adult must be registered in a degree program at the University of California, Berkeley.
  • Must have six months or more remaining in their program.

Apartment eligibility also depends upon your family type and size:

  • There is a limit of three people per bedroom, so families of four or more cannot live in a one-bedroom apartment.
  • Married couples or partners without children are eligible to live in both a one-bedroom apartment or two-bedroom apartment in University Village, but families with children have priority for two-bedroom apartments.
  • Families with two or more children are eligible for both two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments.
  • Graduate couples applying through the couples program are only eligible for West Village two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments.

Postdoctoral and visiting scholar applicant eligibility

Eligible applicants must be postdoctoral scholars or visiting scholars who have an appointment with UC Berkeley. Interested applicants should confirm their eligibility for family housing by submitting their appointment letter before they submit a housing application. An appointment letter should be from the UC Berkeley department and include the scholar’s appointment title and the start and end dates of the appointment.

Postdoctoral or visiting scholar applicants must meet one of the following requirements to be eligible for family housing, listed in order of priority:

  • Single and living with child(ren) under the age of 18 or dependent minor(s) for at least 50% of the year1
  • Married or partnered and living with child(ren) or dependent minor(s) under the age of 18 for at least 50% of the year
  • Couples, married or in a domestic partnership, without children

To be eligible for a family housing offer, scholars must:

  • Provide an appointment letter,
  • Have self-registered through the Housing Portal,
  • Have a housing application in the UC Berkeley Housing Portal
    • In submitted status,
    • For the term they need housing, and
  • Remain affiliated with the university.

Occupancy limit: Scholars are allowed to stay in family student housing until June 30 following their first year of occupancy, or until their appointment expires, whichever occurs first. 

Extensions for scholars: If an appointment is extended, a resident can request a housing extension by completing the Family Student Housing Extension Request Form and submitting their updated appointment letter. Please note, extensions are not guaranteed to be approved and are subject to housing availability and the current wait list status.

Important information for postdoctoral and visiting scholar applicants

  • Postdoctoral and visiting scholar applicants are offered apartments only when there are no students on the wait list.
  • Due to high student demand during the beginning of semesters, i.e., May to September for the fall semester, and December to January for the spring semester, postdoctoral and visiting scholar applicants may not be accommodated during these critical periods. Postdoctoral and visiting scholar applicants are further advised to find alternative housing in the immediacy. Note: Higher priority is given to applicant scholars with more than six months remaining in their appointment. Please remember to submit an updated appointment letter if your appointment is extended.

1. A single-parent or guardian must have custody at least 50% of the year. Proof of custody for biological parents includes a Custody Agreement. Proof of custody for non-parent guardianship would include a court-ordered legal guardianship for the minor child, a statement from the biological parents as to how the guardian provides support, an affidavit or a notarized statement of legal guardianship, and a Medical Power of Attorney.

2. Dependent over 18 applies to a parent or child(ren) where the student provides a documented family need, such as financial or medical, not just a convenience.