Housing and Utilities

Although there are always apartments available, you’ll be less stressed and have more options if you arrive early. It should take you no less than five (5) days to find a proper apartment to live in. Many leases in the campus area begin on September 1st. Returning undergraduates usually arrange housing before they leave for the summer, which means that many apartments will have already been rented out before the MFE Program starts in late September. You won’t have time to deal with finding housing, a bank, getting a driver’s license, and arranging for utility installation during orientation. Make sure you’ve settled in before orientation starts.

If you are single, figure out if you want to live by yourself or with a roommate. Usually it is cheaper to share an apartment than to rent one on your own. Try to look for roommates on bulletin board ads and with other UCLA Anderson graduate students.

Decide which neighborhood you want to live in. The earlier you start looking for an apartment the better. You definitely need to rent a car to make your search. A cell phone is highly recommended to call the building managers as soon as you find an apartment. In general the most efficient way to find a place is to drive around the neighborhood you have selected and visit the apartments that have signs outside stating their vacancies.

Your fellow classmates can be a great source of housing information.

One of the best ways to find a good apartment in Los Angeles is to spend time walking or driving around a neighborhood you like. Many landlords don’t put listings in the papers, but instead put signs up in front of their buildings. You may miss out on a great apartment if you use the conventional method of finding a place. Spending time around the community and meeting some of the residents will give you a better feel for the neighborhood.

You may consider living either within walking/biking distance of campus or near a bus line. West L.A. has great public transportation. Buses come around frequently and are very dependable. Below are some helpful links:

• Getting to UCLA (commuter options)
• UCLA Trip Planner (find your best route)
• Bruin Grad Pass (free transit pass for grad students)
• BruinBus (free UCLA bus service)
• Getting around LA without a car
• For up-to-date info on bike services and resources for students

Note that if you live in Westwood or on its outskirts, you will not be eligible for a carpooling or a parking permit. If you live in the following zip code area, you cannot apply for a carpool parking permit: 90024.

The South Bay area is a considerable distance from UCLA and will require considerable driving time on crowded freeways. If you have trouble being on time, you will probably want to live closer to campus.

Visit Parking and Transportation

Note for international students: If you do not have U.S. credit history, usually, when you first rent an apartment the apartment manager will do a credit check (to ensure that you can pay your rent). Some rental management companies may ask for an additional deposit (in some cases equivalent to six month’s rent) or a co-signer (which has to be a person with good credit history). In general, you can usually end up finding an apartment that doesn’t impose those conditions on you. The best way to avoid this happening is to be really friendly to the manager, and point out that you are a UCLA Anderson graduate student - and not an undergrad.

Questions to Ask a Rental Manager

The following is a list of some of the questions you should consider asking when looking for housing in Los Angeles:

• What is the length of the rental contract? Is it negotiable?
• Is there a security deposit required? How much?
• What utilities are included in the rent (electric, gas, water, cable, etc.)?
• What appliances/amenities come with the apartment?
• Do I get a parking space?
• Is the parking lot gated? Is there covered parking?
• Is there a building manager on the premises?
• Is there a security gate at the entrance?
• Is internet/cable included?
• Are pets allowed?