Alternative housing options may be a consideration for Bruins who do not want university housing.

UCLA Housing released a statement Jan. 21 stating that for the 2025-2026 school year, students in dorms will mostly be placed in triples and those in most university apartments would share rooms with three or four people. UCLA Housing cited growing demands for on-campus housing and UCLA’s commitment to guarantee housing for all students behind the decision to eliminate most single and two-person rooms. With less flexibility in housing options or for more personal reasons, students may be on the hunt for alternative housing options.

Lexi Fleck, a fourth-year global circularity and environmental ethics student, said she considered a number of factors when making the decision to move into a private apartment in Westwood her junior year.

“I wanted to make sure that I was living with people who I felt safe and comfortable with, and also I’ve had a great financial range in mind and I wanted to hit that,” Fleck said.

A Zumper research report found a 20% increase in the prices of listings around UCLA over the past year, with the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment reaching $4,173 per month. Theoretically, four people living in a two-bedroom apartment in Westwood would pay around $973 each for a 12-month lease, without guarantees of furniture or utilities. In comparison, current two-bedroom university apartments split between four people can cost students about $1,167 per month for a nine-month period with utilities and furniture fully covered.

On the UCLA alumni-founded apartment listing website UniShack, 88 apartment buildings within a 30-minute walking distance of campus have vacancies as of March 21. Most buildings with openings are located on streets such as Kelton, Roebling, Veteran, Landfair, Levering, Midvale, Gayley and Wilshire.

Fourth-year microbiology student Allina Jacinto said she moved into an off-campus apartment last year due to missing her room sign-up period. Jacinto added that she utilized the UCLA housing subgroup on Facebook to find listings and roommates.

While private apartments are a popular housing choice, cooperative housing is also an option.

For example, the University Cooperative Housing Association, a student-led nonprofit, offers dorms and meals starting at $650 per month. Cooperatives like UCHA allow for lower prices by having student tenants work weekly shifts on maintenance, cooking and cleaning under the supervision of hired professionals. UCHA offers single, double, triple and suite arrangements of varying sizes, with room selections designated to students based on how long they have been a part of UCHA.

Darryl Sollerh, the executive director of UCHA, said the organization’s history and aspects of community living provide students with a unique experience.

“What I particularly recommend about UCHA is that it’s not just that you’re in a dorm with other students – and that’s perfectly nice – but there’s this other dimension of participating in the running of something and in the continuation of something that has had such a profound history,” Sollerh said.

Founded in 1937, UCHA served as one of the first desegregated student housing communities in the U.S. and offered refuge to Japanese Americans during World War II, Sollerh said. Any students interested in joining the community can apply by visiting their website, Sollerh added.

When choosing housing not directly managed by the university, students may come across legal considerations.

Xochitl Gutierrez, an attorney with UCLA Student Legal Services, said students should be wary of scams, especially any apartment listings or roommate searches on social media sites such as Facebook or Reddit. The UCLA student legal office offers services that can help students navigate legal issues by providing consultations, helping students negotiate and assisting in drafting legal documents.

Gutierrez added that students should read their lease agreements in full, ensure any agreements with roommates are saved in writing and look into renter’s insurance to prevent any legal complications.

As Bruins make housing decisions for the coming school year, Fleck said she recommends students to reach out to other students.

“Do your research, talk to people, hear about their living experience,” Fleck said. “We’re all a community. Everyone really wants to become friends, get to know each other, help each other out.”