It’s February, which means you are now too late to the housing search and you are going to be homeless next year (oops). Unless … you follow my advice on how to make your housing search heaven, not hell!
No, I’m not a realtor, or a city and regional planning major, but I am a junior who only got to live on campus for one year (and was so excited to move out). I’ve been thrown into the off-campus housing trenches ever since. Not that I am counting or anything, but by the end of 2026, I will have moved a total of seven times–just around San Luis Obispo. Are you kidding? Nobody–and I mean nobody–wants to go through that. Seriously, trust me.Â
There are many layers that make up the SLO housing search, but one that can quickly turn from excitement to panic in two seconds is timing. Most first years at Cal Poly start looking for off-campus housing by the time November rolls around. They typically find their future roommates at that point and have a solid foundation of what life in SLO is like. However, the worst thing you can do to yourself is rush into something. Just because a plan seems perfect and your friends seem perfect, that can all change in two seconds.Â
Speaking of layers, another thing you will consider during the SLO housing search is roommates. My biggest piece of advice is that just because they are a good friend does not mean they will be a good roommate, and I stand by that. You can ignore me all you want, but I recommend you don’t. I have had good roommates, I have had bad roommates, and I have had roommates who I hope I never see again. So listen to me, please. I beg of you.
Moving down the line, the next major thing to consider is location–especially if you have a car. No matter what area you are in, parking in SLO is such a pain. If you can help it, leave your car at home or have your roommates leave theirs and just share if that is something that works for you guys. If you live close enough to campus you can also walk, bike, and no matter where you live there is always the bus (which we get free with our student Poly Cards)! However, the other thing you will need to consider is getting to the grocery store. Unfortunately for us, most of them are all pretty far from campus, so you kind of need a car for that. However, we now have the ASI grocery shuttle that takes you from campus to the main grocery stores in SLO like Target, Trader Joes, etc. I would say sacrificing proximity to grocery stores to be close to campus is so much more worth it.
Finally, SLO has a reputation for having many small real estate companies, some of which don’t have the best reputation or have really strict policies for leasing to college students. I have gotten lucky–for the most part–on that front and I can tell you exactly who to lease from and who to stay away from (sorry SLO realty). For example, REG Property Management, Inc. is a hard one to judge because the realtors are all amazing and so accommodating. However, the company itself is very picky and has a lot of rules on its leases, especially for certain properties with more amenities. California West Real Estate Management is the one I would recommend above any other; their applications are straightforward, they have so many properties close to campus, they have great communication, and they pretty much always have listings up until the end of the school year.
Now, of course, I was just so kind and told you all of that great information, but what do you do with it now?Â
If you are having trouble finding roommates, Facebook is a great place to look. There are so many off-campus housing groups that you can join. People are often posting on there either looking for a place to lease, sublease, roommates, or just asking questions that are so helpful to see people’s answers to. If you are in clubs, try and reach out to your group chat and see if anyone knows someone looking for a roommate or if you have extra room post your number and let people reach out to you.
There are so many places to search for rentals yourself as well, especially in SLO. My personal favorites include Zillow, Apartments.com, Homes.com, and Redfin. Many places will also be listed on multiple websites which is really nice because you can get different photos, insights, and contacts about them. That being said, however, the biggest secret to finding an amazing place close to campus is to know upperclassmen whose lease you can take over when they graduate.
That is not all, though; Cal Poly also has great resources, such as the Off-Campus Housing fair as well as the Off-Campus Housing Program website. Here, you can connect with professionals through Zoom, discover resources, and have assistance in the transition from on-campus to off-campus living. Take advantage of these resources because they are free and they are in your backyard–literally.
It sounds scary, but once you figure it out, it is so rewarding and exciting–but only if you follow my advice!