<p>I also posted this in the Cal forum, but didn't get too many replies so wanted to try it here..
I knew this was going to be a challenge at some point back when my daughter first decided on Berkeley. She is currently a Freshman, and is trying to convince me that she should move into a house with 5-6 roommates next year. She has been in one of the Units and came home for Spring break with pink eye. I personally think the co-ed bathrooms are pretty disgusting. She isn't spoiled or a prima donna by any means, but she really wants out of the dorms.</p>
<p>But I am very nervous about this house rental idea. The house she is researching is almost 4 K per month plus utilities, to be shared by 5-6 housemates. The landlord wants one or 2 names at most on the lease. It is a one year lease, meaning she has to pay all summer when she may or may not be there. I picture the landlords as preying on all the college students that know little or nothing about leases and renting. what happens if one or two of the roomates flake in some way and the rest are on the hook for their rent???</p>
<p>I had kind of hoped she would look into sororities just as a good housing option if nothing else, but apparetnly it's too late for that...or the co-ops. she says the co-ops have naked dinners and all smoke weed.</p>
<p>She claims NO sophs live in the dorms. I just need some help here. I'm having trouble communicating with her and understanding the situation. She is on financial aid and I'm a single parent with limited income.</p>
<p>Any and all students in the home MUST be on your lease OR ELSE you are the one who is off the lease! I have one D who has had several awkward & problematic roommate situations and another who has done several leases in Berkeley and had nothing but good experiences.</p>
<p>Paramout is the selection of roommate and the propensity to be a drama queen. Be honest with your self, does your D tend toward the dramatic side? My more sensitive daughter did not choose as wisely and had more difficulty dealing with the fallout from bad roomies. You say your DD is throwing about the "everybody" does it phrase- that sounds like my sensitive D. And we had problems, lots of problems with her rentals- one was bad, D moved out mid-year, but finding a replacement and getting the security deposit back was stressful! Including DH flying to the area to help make it happen.</p>
<p>That next roommate was fine for 1/5 years, then she graduated and DD found the next one on a website- horrible!!!!!!!</p>
<p>I know that in Berkeley some landlords will not require a cosigner, if your D can show a full financial aid package. If you can stay off the lease that would be better.</p>
<p>It would be too late this spring to do a sorority, but they are a good option.</p>
<p>Living off campus, even renting year round, has turned out to be no more than living on and in some terms you can save money, the dorms are pretty pricey at Cal. Yes, my DD also found the coed bathrooms disgusting and asking to be on an all girl floor does not mean you will get that!</p>
<p>I don't know about the coops, but if the wheedling you are hearing sounds more like my D1 than D2, so I would ahve concerns and maybe since she is making her own choices, she needs to get her own lease- no co-signing. If you are low income single mom and she has a decent aid package, she ought to qualify. Then if she is making bad roommate choices, she is on her credit not yours!</p>
<p>It is true that Cal dorms are largely for freshmen. Some sophomores live in the dorms, very few juniors and seniors... </p>
<p>Co-ops are not a great option, frankly.</p>
<p>Realistically, as long as her name isn't on the lease, I don't see the problem in living in the house. I wouldn't let her sign a lease like that, though, she would be in big trouble if things went awry. </p>
<p>The city of Berkeley has pretty strict renter protection laws, though, so there are some protections in place.</p>
<p>I have the opposite view: be sure your child is on the lease. Otherwise she can be asked to leave on a whim by the ones on the lease, at the most inopportune time. Shown the door as an unwelcome guest, and arrested for trespassing if she doesn't leave. </p>
<p>I know the practice at another well known west coast school is for the landlords to insist that everyone who is living in the house be on the lease and meet in the landlord's office to all sign at exactly the same time, then charge a penalty for any changes. It can be a real pain for them to all get it together for this, but then there is no question later who has a right to be there and insist that others leave. None of this, "Well, I thought we all agreed that it was okay if BF lived here too," etc.</p>
<p>My son is a sophomore at Cal and is renting a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom house with three other boys. Total rent is $2500 and his share is $600 per month, not including utilities. He shares a room.</p>
<p>So far, it has been an ideal situation. The four boys get along great and all the parents are incredibly supportive/helpful.</p>
<p>The boys have chosen not to sublet over the summer, so there is that added expense. Still, it is cheaper than the dorms.</p>
<p>Your Ds share of the rent ought to be in the $600 range- maybe $700-800 for a single tiny room in a big house, but usually around $500-$600+ for one person sharing a room is what we have seen</p>
<p>Sons house in Berkeley is $4000 a month. It was actually listed for less but they offered that in order to get it...apparently it gets a little cut throat to find housing. There are 6 guys. 2 share a room and 4 each have their own room.All 6 guys are on on the lease and all 6 parents are co-signers on the lease.</p>
<p>S has been in tiny studios, ranging from $850-$895 a month, but is currently renting a single room in a three bedroom apartment with three others for $800. He moved in over Winter Break and is not on the lease, but he was friends with the kids first so we trust the situation. He found a student to take over his studio lease within 2 hours of posting it on Craig's List over Winter Break. Finding good housing is very competitive in Berkeley, so keep an eye on Craig's List and be prepared to jump on a good deal or a good location as soon as you can.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone..some great tips in this thread. The PM's were very helpful too. I had no clue that they might let her off signing the lease if she has a full aid package. I wasn't clear what the poster meant who said you could be kicked out if you aren't on the lease. From what I know it isn't that simple to get someone out, as long as they live there it creates a tenancy whether they are on the lease or not, and to get them out requires all kinds of notice and a formal eviction process. Most seem to be saying it is actually cheaper than the dorms, so that is good news. Who cleans these places is what I want to know.</p>
<p>actually, re: the cleaning....that's probably something you DON"T want to know. I've already told my 2 D's about the housemate I had in college, whose druggie bf would regularly dump out his bong water in the bathtub at night (and not bother to rinse). Uh....that's a new level of disgusting when you're the first one to go in to take a shower in the a.m. We went through bottles and bottles of bleach to try to keep that tub clean :)</p>
<p>lol-- great story!! about the cleaning, i was just worried that there would be yet another add-on expense for a housekeeper..or do they normally do their own "cleaning"
Does anyone happen to know if finaid covers off-campus living at Cal? on another thread it said to determine if any living expenses are included in the Cost of Attendance..if so then living off-campus won't affect the aid???</p>
<p>Yes, Cal has a COA based on living on campus or living off campus or living with family. Off campus is a lower total than on campus, but living out of the dorms is cheaper.</p>
<p>On the Finaid and the lease, having a full financial package AND good credit means YOU might not have to co-sign; your D would still be on the lease, but you would not be!</p>
<p>I offered to come in and clean the house before they all moved in last summer. Because it was so disgusting. Son did not take me up on that offer, said if they want a clean house, they would clean it. 6 guys, 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms...you get the picture.
As long as they get their (my) deposit back, I don't care.</p>