Parents of new UCSD students beware. There is a severe housing shortage both on campus and in the surrounding area of LaJolla unless you have a $1500 per month budget for rent. Even then, very few places available. There are currently 500 people on the campus housing waitlist with little hope of getting a spot. My daughter and her roomates have applied to no fewer than 12 places and have not been approved for any. They have a $2500 budget. Since we live in Pennsylvania, she may have to transfer to another school if we can find housing soon.
Google Westwood apartment lajolla. They still have apartments available and you can even hold and lease online.
I can’t post the link here but I did post in the UCSD forum.
LOL In Boston that would be a bargain!
Most cheaper places on and off campus fill up by mid-June, as most leases run June to June. Is their $2500 budget per month? Even with San Diego County real estate prices, I’d be shocked if three people can’t find housing for that price.
I’m bummed to say it, but your daughter and her roommates might have to split up and find different sublets. Look into the UCSD Housing Facebook group; a lot of safe opportunities not listed elsewhere will be here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/UCSDHousing/?ref=ts&fref=ts
(If the link isn’t approved, replace the asterisks with the Facebook domain)
Also, keep pestering local apartment complexes. Costa Verde is probably full by now, as would be La Jolla Village Park’s townhouses, but there are literally tens of thousands of apartments in the University City area. Even if not, plenty of students who don’t mind a slight commute live in quiet Mira Mesa or notoriously lively Pacific Beach. I’m sure if you cast a slightly wider net you’ll be able to find something desirable. Good luck, and keep us updated!
I hope your daughter finds something soon. Unfortunately other UC schools have similar issues, e.g. putting 3 students in a room built for 2.
I think it’s particularly unfortunate in the case of UCSD as in my mind it kind of screws up the six college system when students may be placed in one college but housed in another college or off campus.
Has your daughter and her roommates been looking on the UCSD off campus housing site as there are a lot of places on there. Does she have a car or will she be relying on the campus bus/superloop? I live near the campus in La Jolla and there are many places for students to live off campus. If they are willing to share bedrooms the costs will be much less. They can live as far out at UTC and ride the campus bus. They will find cheaper rent in University City or Clairemont, but the bus ride to campus will be longer and will be via the city bus. If she does have a car the problem with parking is that the campus does not have enough. All of the neighborhoods around campus have students parking in them and either catching the bus or walking from there.
Feel free to send me a message if you have questions about areas to rent in around campus as I either drive or walk by most of these places daily. Good luck.
A few things -
- The cost of the apartment will be split among the roommates so it won't be $1500 'each' - it'll be far less than that assuming at least 2 people will be in the apartment. It actually should likely be less expensive than living on campus but they'll get their own kitchen, have a living room, finite number of people sharing the bathroom, swimming pool, spa, etc.
- You said 'have not been approved for any' - what do you mean by this? Does this mean there are units available but that your D/roomies weren't approved to rent any based on their financials, or do you mean no units are available? If it's the former, the 'approval' requirements vary by individual apartment complex. Some require a co-signer, some don't require a co-signer as long as the student can show x number of months (maybe something like 6) of cash balance in their account, or a job with steady income (not likely for a student).
- 'Costa Verde' is a large complex nearby there but another is 'La Regencia' - http://www.gardencommunitiesca.com/Apartment-Rentals/CA/San-Diego/La-Regencia/Home.aspx There are many apartment complexes available in the Regents Rd/Nobel Dr area and this area is served by a free campus shuttle so it's a very easy commute to campus. You can see many of them by using Google maps viewing the area around UCSD and in particular, Nobel/Regents, and typing in 'Apartments' and having Google maps point out where they are.
- There are a lot of condos right next to UCSD along La Jolla Village Drive that are frequently for rent. One complex of condos (that are actually former apartments) is Villa La Jolla that has hundreds of units with some usually for rent, including studios. http://www.gardencommunitiesca.com/Apartment-Rentals/CA/San-Diego/Villa-La-Jolla/Home.aspx
- A bit further afield would be the 'Mira Mesa' area which will have a lot of apartments.
I understand the frustration but don’t give up yet - I think with enough searching she’ll find something.
The places GladGradDad mentions are good choices for a student. There is a Ralph’s, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Vons in the area for groceries. There are also fast food places nearby as well as banks, a post office and drugstores and the UTC mall. I think that most parents will have to cosign for kids in order to rent a place.
If I my kid hasn’t found her apartment yet, I still think there are so many shared room ads on Facebook or UCSD uloop for about $400-$550, much cheaper than what she is paying.
I looked on Craigslist and there are many people advertising rooms for rent near UCSD that are way less than the $1,500 the OP quoted above. My D looked at a room right outside the campus in a lovely condo that the owner’s college age S was living in and looking for 3 roommates. The room D looked at was a medium sized bedroom with a shared bath for $700 a month. There was also a large master bedroom and bath in the condo for $1,500 per month that could easily be shared by 2 people. The condo was across the street from the campus parking bus. We looked at it in July when D thought she wanted to move out, but has since decided to stay at home for her first quarter (she is a transfer) since she wants to get used to being on the quarter system.