UNIVERSITY & COMMUNITY HOUSING SERVICES is a one-stop resource for rental housing information and dispute resolution. Our experienced staff will answer your questions and provide guidance regarding your rental rights and responsibilities. Our services are available to students, faculty, staff, and property providers. To view our Mission Statement, please scroll down to the bottom of this page.
University & Community Housing Services Hours:
Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m.-noon and 1:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
excluding university holidays and administrative closures
Visit our Rental Listings Service | Talk to a Housing Services Coordinator at 805-893-4371 | Email us at housinginfo@housing.ucsb.edu | Visit us on the third floor of the University Center room 3151
Services We Offer
Rental Listing Service
We offer a rental-listing service providing information and advising for students, faculty, and staff looking for off-campus housing. All UCSB students, staff, and faculty can log in with their UCSB NetID and search rental listings that are available exclusively to those associated with UCSB.
Community Living Options
- Shared Housing: Most students have roommates to deal with high rents. Tenants who need roommates and roommates who need rooms advertise with University & Community Housing Services.
- Apartments and Duplexes
- Condominiums and Houses
- Rooms in Private Homes: private home-owners in Santa Barbara rent rooms to UCSB students, staff and faculty.
- Santa Barbara Student Housing Co-Op
- Sorority and Fraternity Houses
- UCSB Undergraduate Apartments
- UCSB Family Student Housing
- UCSB Residence Halls
- The Haven: a community for students in recovery
Plan Your Budget:
- First month’s rent and security deposit
- Last month’s rent to be paid in advance (in some cases)
- Start-up costs for utility deposits, household necessities, and linens
- Allocations for transportation, entertainment, and clothing
- Food costs average $195.00 per month
- Utility costs average $100.00 per month for apartments (gas, electricity and cable)
- Water and trash service are usually included in the rent
- Transportation: Students usually bike or walk to campus from Isla Vista. Bus service is free and available throughout Santa Barbara
Note: Most apartments in Isla Vista, Goleta, and Santa Barbara are unfurnished.
The Cost of Living in Santa Barbara
| Room Type | Isla Vista | Goleta | Santa Barbara |
| Studio | $2046 | $1900 | $2200 |
| 1 Bedroom | $2458 | $2400 | $2600 |
| 2 Bedroom | $4090 | $3050 | $3295 |
| 3 Bedroom | $6195 | $4595 | $4795 |
| 4+ Bedroom | $8530+ | $6000 | $6200 |
| Room in Home* | n/a | $1400 | $1500 |
Rooms in private (non-student) homes usually include utilities.
Mediation is a process in which people who have a dispute can meet with the support of trained mediators. Parties can communicate openly and create ways to resolve conflicts. When mediation is appropriate:
- conflict with apartment-mates
- neighbor-to-neighbor problems
- landlord/tenant issues
All mediation services are confidential, impartial, informal, and free. Please contact us to schedule a mediation consultation. Also, please see our Mediation Brochure for more information.
Seek advice and find information to answer a variety of complex housing questions. The Rental Advice & Information online center aims to help with resolving roommate conflicts and issues with property providers.
Twice a year, in Winter and Spring, University & Community Housing Services hosts workshops and rental fairs to inform students about renting in the community. All students are welcome. Please see below for more information about the educational programs being offered to help students plan for 2025-2026 housing.
Educational Programs
Our Mission
Our Mission has five elements
- We guarantee high-quality customer service to each individual that we serve.
- We empower renters by providing them with accurate and reliable housing information, with constructive skills, and with knowledge of their rights and responsibilities.
- We work collaboratively with owners and renters, both to augment the quantity of housing listings and to improve the quality of rental housing in the surrounding community.
- We work to ensure equal access and opportunity for everyone as detailed in our educational equity plan. We facilitate clear communication between all parties in the rental housing community.
To fulfill all five elements of our mission statement
- We constantly assess and improve the quality and scope of Community Housing Services publications and information.
- We sponsor educational programs designed to facilitate successful tenancies.
- We consolidate statistical and other research materials tracking trends in the rental housing market.
- We enhance communication and rapport between students (tenants) and property providers by providing mediation services.
- We develop outreach efforts that will expand the supply of rental housing available in the surrounding community for the UCSB community. We practice teamwork.
- We consider everyone associated with our office to be members of our team including students, faculty, staff, property providers, and the rental housing community.
- We update our educational equity plan annually to address the needs of under-represented communities.