Summer 2026 Leasing / Apartments / Avg Pricing

Hi Everyone!  We are gearing up for our Summer 2026 rental season and will definitely have apartment units available.

It is good to start looking early BUT there is such a thing as looking too early in our opinion!

When will apartments be posted online for June 2026 rentals?

We typically start knowing more about our possible apartment units in late January and early February.  This is only the start and we will gradually know more and post more listings continuing through February, March, April, etc.

When should I look for an apartment? Since I do not see many housing options should I lock in a Cal housing option now?

We will start posting more units in February and our leasing season peaks around Spring Break.  Every year we may advertise close to 100+ apartment units!

Whether you wait and defer looking for housing or lock in an option early can be a personal preference.  Many prospects have been worried about finding an available apartment in years past but we note that we have been able to accommodate most prospects that apply with us to an available unit during each season.

Please note that most dorm/apt contracts signed with Cal Housing cannot be canceled unless you have certain extenuating circumstances. Just because you found a cheaper housing option elsewhere later on you may be stuck with your housing option.

Reddit Sources:

https://www.reddit.com/r/berkeley/comments/1ex2qa5/housing_cancellation/

https://www.reddit.com/r/berkeley/comments/1erjg1p/anyone_gone_through_cal_housing_cancellation/

https://www.reddit.com/r/berkeley/comments/1ekfyua/urgent_housing_problem/

https://www.reddit.com/r/berkeley/comments/1i9yp6t/cancelation_for_on_campus_contract/

https://www.reddit.com/r/berkeley/comments/1j5hfmq/chances_for_successful_housing_contract/

https://www.reddit.com/r/berkeley/comments/159xkwz/housing_cancellation/

From UC Berkeley Housing: Housing Cancellation Process

Housing contract cancellations are not automatically granted and depend on specific conditions. In most cases, a cancellation request can only be approved if an eligible replacement is found to take over the contract. The replacement must be a registered student, not currently living in University housing, and eligible for the assigned room type and location. If no students are on the housing waiting list or accept an offer for your space, finding a replacement is unlikely

Why are your apartment listings not known until later?

Because most of our buildings are 100% full at this time and residents may not give us notice until 30, 60, 90-days based on their required lease / notice requirement.  Some prospects have been asking us now in December about possible July / August units.

For July 2026 move-ins (or later) it is just too early to know about these.  For those units with leases ending June 2026 the residents would be giving us 7-months / 200+ days notice now in December!

Why are some other buildings / listings available now for Summer 2026?

Some properties being listed now are typically new construction / non rent controlled and completely empty.  They are pre-leasing the entire property for Summer 2026.  We note that these units are typically at market pricing and non-rent controlled with utility pass-through billing (eg: water not included).

Most of our properties are rent controlled and at a lower pricing point.  Due to this nearly all properties we manage are 100% full during the year so our listings / vacancies are not known until later.

What are the average prices for upcoming units (rent controlled)?

Studios
$1,350-1,700

1-Bedrooms
1,700-2,500

2-Bedrooms
2,700-3,500

3-Bedrooms
3,600-4,600

4-Bedrooms
4,500-5,400

** Note these are averages from various units and buildings we manage across Berkeley in different buildings / neighborhoods (most within 1-mile of the Cal campus) **

What are some common differences between rent controlled and non-rent controlled properties?

Rent Controlled Properties

• Rent will remain the same for the first renewal
• Avg rents are typically lower
• No utility pass-through billing for residents (water, trash, etc. unless they are separately metered cannot be split and shared as as a fractional utility with the entire building)
• Most rent controlled properties have rents regulated for the ENTIRE UNIT.  The rent you see on our website is for the entire apartment – it is is NOT a per person amount, per bed, per room, etc.

Non-Rent Controlled Properties

• Rent can increase after the lease ends (no rent control / limit)
• Avg rents are typically higher
• Utility pass-through billing is allowable.  Buildings may take the common area water bill and pass though the bill by dividing it up for every unit or person) – this may be a utility usage out of your control (eg: water leak, neighbor has higher usage, etc.).
• Fees / surcharges, Rents by the Bed – rent is often by the room, by the bed, or per person

Are you able to update me when units will become available?

We are a small office and due to staffing / website limitations we are unable to reach out to every prospect about available units.  We will post all our available rentals online here as soon as they are known.

In the meantime, please feel free to read some online testimonials from our past residents on Reddit!  Reddit Posts