Finding housing in Isla Vista can be intimidating and confusing. When looking for a place to live it is important to have your priorities listed. To begin, here are some of the main leasing companies (in alphabetical order) to contact about available properties.
Bartlein and Company Inc.
Leasing Office: 3944 State Street, Suite 200 Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Office Hours: 8:30-5:00 Mon-Fri and 9:00-3:00 Saturday CLOSED Sunday
Contact Information:
(805) 569-1121
Beach Town Rentals
Leasing Office: 1375 Santa Rita Circle Santa Barbara, CA 93019
Contact Information:
(805) 966-4004 or (805) 895-5187
Berkshire Terrace Apartments
Leasing Office: 6661 Berkshire Terrace Apt, 1, Isla Vista, CA
Contact Information:
(808) 968-2429
Breakpointe Coronado
Leasing Office: 6672 Abrego Rd. Suite A, Isla Vista, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 308-6629 https://www.breakpointeandcoronado.com/
Cochrane Property Management, Inc.
Leasing Office: 102 W. Arrellaga St. Santa Barbara, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 965-2887
Colonial Balboa Cortez Apartments
Leasing Office: 6721 El Colegio Rd. Isla Vista, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 639-8322
Dean Brunner Rentals
Leasing Office: 6778 Pasado Rd. Isla Vista, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 685-5904
DMH Properties
Leasing Office: 7394 Calle Real, Isla Vista, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 962-3707
Eckert Investments
Leasing Office: 851 Camino Pescadero St. A, Isla Vista, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 685-3484
Embarcadero Company
Leasing Office: 6504 Pardall Rd. St. 9, Isla Vista, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 685-6999
Gallagher Property Management
Leasing Office: 1815 State St. St. D, Santa Barbara, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 682-8433
Harwin & Co.
Leasing Office: 75 Aero Camino Rd. St. D, Isla Vista, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 570-2288
Isla Vista Living
Contact Information:
(805) 308-3984
Island View Properties
Leasing Office: 6549 Pardall Rd. Apt. A, Isla Vista, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 681-9464
Jeff Allen Properties
Leasing Office: 6835 Fortuna Rd. Isla Vista, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 685-1517
Kamap Property Management
Leasing Office: 6521 Cordoba Rd. Apt. 2, Isla Vista, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 685-2627
Sandpiper Property Management
Leasing Office: 1825 State St. Apt. 106, Santa Barbara, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 487-0099
Sequoia Property Management Leasing Office: 501 Chapala St. Santa Barbara, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 892-4184
SFM Vista Del Mar
Leasing Office: 6529 Trigo Rd. Isla Vista, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 685-4506
Shoreline Property Management Company
Leasing Office: 315 Meigs Rd. St. A, Isla Vista, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 448-7464
Sierra Property Management
Leasing Office: 5290 Overpass Rd. Building D, Isla Vista, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 692-1520
St. George & Associates / CAMPUS 880
Leasing Office: 6556 Pardall, Isla Vista, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 685-4115
The Koto Group
Leasing Office: PO Box 5464 Isla Vista, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 973-7077
The LOOP
Leasing Office: 6533 Trigo Rd. Isla Vista, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 284-0882
Tropicana Student Living
Leasing Office: 6585 El Colegio Rd. Isla Vista, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 968-0351
Wolfe & Associates
Leasing Office: 173 Chapel St. Santa Barbara, CA
Contact Information:
(805) 964-6770
Even though there are many leasing companies, some properties are privately owned. If these companies do not have something you are interested in, go for a walk or drive around Isla Vista. Note the phone numbers of properties, they are posted on most buildings, that you may be interested in and write those down. Also, there are great Facebook groups that post housing opportunities.
UCSB Housing
UCSB HOUSING/SUBLETS/RENTALS
UCSB HOUSING
Once you have found a property you are interested in, here are some things to consider:
How many people would I like to live with? This can be tricky, but most people who live in IV have roommates and housemates. It is important to have a similar budget between the people you are living with and how comfortable you are sharing a space with them. Have a plan of who is sharing rooms and how rent should be divided. Bigger rooms cost more, but more people can share them.
The next thing to consider is where in Isla Vista do you want to be located? IV ranges from the 65 block (closest to campus) to the 68 block. So when looking for housing picture where you would like to be. If you want to be closer to campus check out buildings on 65 blocks. If you do not mind noise, the streets closer to Del Playa, which is the closest street to the ocean, can be pretty active with nightlife. The further from Del Playa you are the more relaxed nightlife will be.
Another thing to consider besides location is if you want to be in an apartment or a house. Apartments are great, they can come with amenities that houses do not offer and if you are not comfortable living with a large group they may be the right option for you. Houses in IV are also a great option especially if you have a bigger group that you want to live with. Along with living in a house they may offer more outdoor space than an apartment and larger driveways for parking.
Speaking of parking it is also important to consider what amenities you want. Parking spaces are an added cost in certain living situations, so take into account if you are bringing a car with you and how many cars will be at your property between your living companions. Another popular amenity is laundry. Properties in Isla Vista range from having laundry rooms, to laundry hookups, to no laundry facilities. There is a laundromat located in Isla Vista.
Isla Vista Laundromat
955 Embarcadero del Mar, Goleta, California 93117
Hours: Monday - Sunday: 7am-11:30pm Attendant Hours: 1:00pm-6:00pm
Contact Information: (805) 569-1780
Lastly, probably one of the most important things to consider is the utilities you are responsible for when moving to Isla Vista. Each property is different, so this is one of the important things to ask leasing companies about when looking for a property. Every property will need a security deposit, so factor that into your budget and remember to be respectful to your property while living there in order to get that deposit back. The main utilities to consider are water, gas, electric, and trash. Again living in an apartment may lead to having less utilities to be responsible for, while living in a house utilities may be more costly.
Even after going through all these steps you may still have housing issues, and that is completely normal. Communal living is not always easy, a blend of personalities and different backgrounds can cause some difficulties when it comes to housing. It is important to live with people who you are comfortable around due to the fact that they are who you spend your time with when not at school or work.
If something is not working out, sit down and talk about it before committing to a lease. Dividing responsibilities around the house should be a discussion even before living together: who is doing dishes, vacuuming, cleaning up? The best part of living in Isla Vista is having great friends to live with or near. Remember after leaving here you will never experience such a cohesive living environment as Isla Vista.