After the first week of classes of the fall quarter, UC Santa Barbara’s campus housing still had 200 undergraduate bed spaces available in resident halls and apartments.

By June, applicants who applied for campus housing by the university’s deadline were offered a spot in campus housing, UCSB spokesperson Kiki Reyes said. She said students who applied late there were accommodated throughout the summer and late applicants are still being offered spots weekly. 

Students who are still in need of housing can submit an application with campus housing.

The number of open beds is a big change from two years ago when the university had to put students in local hotels because they did not have enough space to meet demand.

“It seems to me that they’ve been able to absorb more of the housing demand when it comes to UCSB students and that has been a really positive development for the community,” said Spencer Brandt, Isla Vista Community Services District Director.

Brandt told Noozhawk that the main housing concern he’s heard from residents in Isla Vista is how the price of rent is increasing year-by-year. 

“I’ve been contacted by students that are concerned if it’s legally allowable for a landlord to raise their rent 30% year over year,” Brandt said. “To me that really follows the trend that we’re seeing across Santa Barbara. It’s really putting a squeeze on working people, students, families, and I think that it’s getting worse and worse each day. It’s very concerning.”

Under new state law, landlords cannot raise rent more than 10%, or 5% plus the increase in the cost of living, every 12 months, whichever is lower.

“If the tenants of a unit move out and new tenants move in, the landlord may establish the initial rent to charge,” according to the Tenant Protection Act.

For students looking for private, off campus housing, Brandt suggests going to UCSB’s Community Housing Office. Staff there can connect students with property management companies who have open spots, he said.