Most international students and scholars live in rental housing. Rental housing in Davis includes apartments, duplexes, townhomes, condominiums, rooms-for-rent and houses. The arrival of UC Davis students each September nearly doubles the city's population, and makes year-long leases the norm and short-term rentals hard to find.
Year-long Leases
Most leases correspond with the academic year, which means September 1 through August 31. In the spring (March-May), tenants either renew their leases for another year or allow the property to be advertised to other potential tenants. As a result, the most choices for year-long leases are available well before the beginning of each academic year. You may be able to secure a year lease from a distance through the internet or by telephone. In general, however, a number of year-lease properties remain available through the summer.
Short-term Rentals
Very few rentals are advertised for periods less than 12 months (September through August). If you need a short-term rental, plan on arriving early and staying in a hotel while you search. Your best chances will be to rent a room in a house or apartment with tenants who hold a year lease. Most people want to personally interview potential house-mates so renting a room from a distance may be difficult. In general, finding a short-term rental requires an active search and flexibility. Finding a short-term rental that can accommodate a spouse, family or pets is very difficult.
On-campus Student Housing
For students, on-campus housing is primarily for first-year undergraduates and students with families, although there may be some available on-campus housing for other students depending on the time of year and student demand.
Space
is limited and assigned in the order that applications are received. First-year undergraduates are given first priority for the on-campus residence halls. Student families with children have first priority in family apartments.
Residence Halls: Residence halls are hostel-type living arrangements, sometimes called dormitories or "dorms", where students have either shared or private rooms and everyone eats in a common dining hall. Residence halls are offered to single students; couples and families are not eligible to live in the residence halls. The advantages of living in the residence halls are that they provide excellent opportunities to meet lots of people and they are close to libraries and campus facilities. The disadvantages include having to share a bathroom with several other people and, because residence halls do not have kitchens, residents are required to purchase a meal plan. For more information, contact the Student Housing Office. (Telephone: 530-752-2033; email: studenthousing@ucdavis.edu)
Student Family Housing: Orchard Park and Solano Park Apartments and Russell Park Apartments are offered primarily to undergraduate and graduate students with children. They are in high demand because of their proximity to campus and low cost. Inquiries should be made as soon as possible by contacting the Student Housing office at 530-752-2033.
When You First Arrive
You may need to arrange temporary housing for the first few days of your stay in Davis. Please see information about the Hyatt Place located on campus, and other hotels or bed-and-breakfast establishments in the area.
Short-Term Housing for Visiting Scholars
UC Davis is a research university in the central valley of California. We have over 30,000 students. Finding housing for short term visits, a month to less than a year, is a challenge. You will need to initiate your search well before your expected visit. The information offered here will assist you in finding housing and outline the options and resources available to you both on and off campus.
Visiting Scholar Apartments. The campus manages three fully-furnished apartments conveniently located near Central Campus, and close to downtown. These apartments cost $400-450 per week, and may be rented for a maximum of three consecutive months during the academic year. Contact the Conference and Event Services office several months ahead of your pending visit -- Phone: (530) 752-2675, Fax: (530) 752-5791 or email events@ucdavis.edu.
Sabbatical Houses for Rent. University Farm Circle lists sabbatical houses for rent. This might be a good option for visiting scholars.
Pacifico Co-operative. The purpose of Pacifico is to provide affordable co-op housing for students attending University of California at Davis, but non-students also live at Pacifico. Month-to-month leases are available.
Off-Campus Housing for Students and Scholars
If you plan to live in off-campus housing, plan to arrive early in order to have plenty of time to find a suitable place to live. Be prepared to pay expenses such as first and last months' rent, a security deposit, telephone installation costs and a utility deposit. There are a number of ways to look for off-campus housing. You may need to use all of the available resources to find a suitable place to live. For students, the best place to start your search is the Student Housing office. (Telephone: 530-752-2033; email: studenthousing@ucdavis.edu)
Online listings: SISS does not endorse the use of the following web sites, but many have found them useful. Also, be sure to sign up for the SISS email lists. SISS sends out information about available housing each week.
Some students and scholars have found that craigslist.org (for the Sacramento area) or DavisHousing are useful ways to arrange for housing in Davis before their arrival.
Club International is a student group including many international students and post docs. Their Yahoo discussion group is a good place to connect with other students to ask about housing.
The California Housing Board is another web site that can connect you directly with students that have information about available housing. Students can also post a notice when looking for housing.
Pacifico Co-operative. The purpose of Pacifico is to provide affordable co-op housing for students attending University of California at Davis and other schools in the Davis and Sacramento communities.
Cal Aggie Christian Association/CA House. CA House is an inclusive, progressive campus ministry serving college and graduate students of all faiths in and around the Davis community. We offer opportunities for spirituality, service, personal growth, fellowship, and intentional living.
UC Davis Community Housing Listing Service (Telephone: 530-752-1990; e-mail: chls@asucd.ucdavis.edu)
University Farm Circle lists sabbatical houses for rent. This might be a good option for visiting scholars.
UC Davis international student organizations offer another good way to connect with current students to get information on housing.
Newspaper advertisements: Consult the classified advertising section of the community newspaper (The Davis Enterprise) or the campus newspaper (The California Aggie) for listings of houses and apartments for rent. Newspapers from surrounding communities include the Sacramento Bee and the Woodland Daily Democrat.
Other: Walking around the neighborhood, you occasionally find a "for rent" sign up, usually with a phone number to call. Also, let your friends and contacts in your department know you are looking; sometimes they may know of a vacancy.
Fair Housing Information:
Other Useful Sites
- DAVIS Wiki Housing Guide
- International House (I-House) sometimes knows of available housing, but they do not maintain an active list.
- Davis Downtown
- UC Davis' Zimride Rideshare Community
