Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ)
Categories:
Am I eligible for housing?
How long is the lease?
Why do I need to give
the Housing Office my updated contact information?
Can I have a pet?
After I
graduate, how long can I stay in Fuller Housing?
Can I survive at Fuller without a car?
What kinds of units are available?
What is the difference
between a "single" and a "studio"?
What is an Intentional Community?
What is the difference between Traditional, Neighborhood, and Intentional
Communities?
Is parking available for all renters?
Can I have cable/satellite TV and/or high-speed Internet services?
Are units furnished?
How do I apply?
What if I need a roommate?
What's the average wait for an apartment?
What is a walk-in unit?
How is the wait-list determined?
How are offers made?
How do I accept a unit?
What if I reject an offered unit?
What is a security deposit and how much is it?
When is the starting date for my rent?
How do
Fuller Housing rent rates compare to those in the area?
What about financial aid?
How do I turn on my utilities?
How will I get my lease?
What is the move-in process?
What if I need to move in after office hours?
Do I need a California
driver's license & plates?
What is an Intentional Community?
What is the difference between Traditional, Neighborhood, and Intentional
Communities?
What is the role of the Community Coordinator or Liaison?
Do
single and married students have separate housing communities?
Is there
separate housing for International students?
What about new housing?
When
can I get on the waitlist for new housing?
What types of units will be available in the new housing and when?
I’m concerned about being displaced in the future - where will Phase II
construction occur?
What are the hours of construction?
How can I submit a question, suggestion or concern regarding
the construction?
How can I pray for the new
housing project?
Am I eligible for housing?
You must meet all of the
following requirements before you can qualify to live in Fuller Housing:
1. You must be accepted
as a student at Fuller and be cleared by the Admissions Office.
2. You must register for
at least 24 units of masters-level or 16 units of doctoral-level course work
within the academic year. If you do not meet those requirements, you
will not qualify to live within Fuller housing. We do have a community listing
available at the Housing Office to aid you in finding alternate housing.
However, exception status is sometimes granted to individuals in special
situations, such as doing an internship or practicum.
3. If you are an
international student—that is, if you are not a citizen or permanent resident of
the United States—you must also be cleared by the
International
Student Services (ISS) Office.
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How long is the lease?
The duration of the
initial lease is for six months from the effective date of your lease. After six
months, the lease will be automatically extended month-to-month as long as you
pay your rent and remain eligible as defined below. If you break the six-month
term of the lease agreement, you will be charged rent for the entire six-month
period, regardless if you have not moved in or have already moved out of the apartment. If your housing need is
for less than six months, you may consider staying at the Fuller Guest House
during your time in Pasadena. The telephone number for the Guest House is
626-578-1050.
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Why do
I need to give the Housing Office my updated contact information?
Incomplete applications, or those with non-valid contact information, will not
be processed. The result is applicants will not
receive any housing offers.
contact us to update your personal
information, especially if it will affect our
ability to contact you. If we cannot reach you, your name will be deleted from our waiting list.
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Can I have a pet?
Fur-bearing pets are not
allowed in Fuller housing as they have damaged property, ruined carpeting,
created animal waste and flea problems, and caused allergic reactions to
subsequent tenants, even after numerous cleanings by professional carpet
cleaners. In the case of a verifiable medical disability, an exception may be made for
general Fuller Housing for a service animal.
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After I
graduate, how long can I stay in Fuller Housing?
You are allowed to stay for 60 days after your last quarter ends. Most
graduates find that 60 days gives them more than enough time to recover from
their last quarter and finalize what they will do after leaving Fuller.
We encourage you to plan ahead and make arrangements before you graduate for
where you will go or what you will do after graduation. You cannot live in
Fuller housing if you are no longer a full-time student (or staff member).
Please keep in mind that it is not our desire to “throw you out” because you are
no longer a student but the reason our department exists is to provide housing
for new students coming to Fuller with no place to stay—students very much like
the one you were when you first came to Fuller.
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Can I survive at Fuller without a car?
Of course you can! In fact we are so confident of it that we've got a whole page devoted to telling you how. So check out the
transit page for some good info. You'll
also want to be sure and check it out if you are thinking about having a roommate or a family thinking about bringing more than one car.
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What is the difference between a
"single" and a "studio"?
Single apartments
are our smallest units, intended for students living alone. A single
consists of one large room (usually 14' x 14') with a mini-kitchen area and a
bathroom. Rent ranges from $620 to $700 a month.
Studios may be
rented by one student, two roommates, or a family of two. The maximum number of
occupants is two adults. A studio consists of a single large room (usually 16' x
16'), a separate full kitchen, and a bathroom. Rent ranges from $620 to $900.
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Is parking available for all renters?
Normally, one
parking space (which may or may not be at your complex) is offered to
each apartment as long as the car is currently licensed and registered. You will need
a Fuller Housing parking permit to park at your complex. If you have a second
car (or your roommate has a second car), your name may be added to a waiting list for a second space upon request.
The Housing office will notify you when a space becomes available and a
$30-per-month charge may be applied for certain complexes. Otherwise, you will
need to park it along the street.
Community Coordinators are in charge of
assigning parking spaces at our housing complexes. Please contact your
coordinator directly to find out if a space is available at your complex. For
Pasadena street parking call 626-744-6440.
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Can I have cable/satellite TV and/or high-speed Internet services?
Fuller Housing allows residents to contract with outside vendors for DSL or
other high-speed Internet options, as well as cable or satellite television
within certain parameters (see below) as long as the residents abide by the
Seminary's Acceptable Use Policy:
- If the service or device can be installed without penetration to any
surface (such as DSL or a free-standing satellite dish on a balcony if the
cable does not go through a wall or other surface), then it may be done
without seeking prior permission.
- If any cable or dishes are mounted to roof vents, chimneys, fascia boards,
stucco walls, or the like, prior approval must be received from Building
Services and the resident or vendor must make the installation within their
guidelines.
- Under no circumstances may satellite dishes or other cable devices be
installed so that there are penetrations through the roof membrane either to
anchor the dish or to run cable.
The seminary makes no provision for
support of resident DSL or cable arrangements, except for unusual installations
that may affect seminary property. The Seminary has no responsibility for
transactions between the student and vendor. In addition to the contractual
agreements with the vendor, residents are expected to abide by the Acceptable
Use Policy in using the high speed Internet access on seminary premises.
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Are units furnished?
All of our housing units
are unfurnished. They are, however, carpeted and include a refrigerator and a stove.
Depending upon its location and price, a unit may be equipped with some or all
of the following amenities:
Several complexes offer gated, underground parking; however, most have carports.
Three of our apartment complexes also have swimming pools. In addition, several
of our first-floor units are wheelchair-accessible. For more information
about units please see the Unit
Types, Rates, & Amenities by location PDF (405 KB).
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How do I apply?
To apply for Fuller
housing, you will need to complete an online housing application. Incomplete applications will not be processed,
thus the applicants
will not receive any housing offers. It is crucial that you update your personal
information with us if any of it changes, especially if it will affect our
ability to contact you. If we cannot reach you because your contact information
has not been updated with us (contact us), your name will be deleted from our waiting list.
When filling out the application,
you'll enter your first three choices for housing accommodations for which you
are eligible and would accept if offered. You'll also be asked the earliest date on which you would be
willing to begin paying rent (paydate). As stated above, your paydate determines when we begin to
send you offers for available housing units, as we can only offer those
units which will be vacated and cleaned by that date. Therefore, if you are
willing to start paying rent before you move in this will increase your chances of getting an apartment.
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See
How is
the wait-list determined?
 What
if I need a roommate?
If you would like to
have a roommate, it is your responsibility to find an eligible Fuller student of
the same sex to room with you. To aid you in your search, a Roommate List
containing the names and information of students desiring roommates is available
upon request. However, to utilize the list, you will be required to submit
your personal information so that it can be included on the list and allow other
students to contact you. If you and another student agree to become roommates,
both of you must contact the Housing Office in order to inform us of the
match. The process of receiving offers will then begin (see
How are offers made? and
How do I accept a unit? for more detail).
If your roommate moves out, you will need to find an eligible replacement
roommate within 30 days from when our office is notified that your roommate is
moving out. If no replacement is found during the 30 days, you will be
responsible for the full monthly rent.
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What's the average wait for an
apartment?
Here are some average
waits per apartment type:
-
About 25 single units $650-$720/month with a 3 to 6 month wait
on average
-
About 74 studio units $700-$850/month with a 3 to 6 month wait
on average
-
About 200 one-bedroom units $960-$1090/month with a 2 to 5 month
wait on average
-
About 164 two-bedroom units $1100-$1300/month with a 6 to 9
month wait on average
-
About 16 three-bedroom units $1500-$1680/month with a
1+ year
wait on average
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What is a walk-in unit?
Occasionally—particularly at the end of summer—we have units that are designated
as walk-in units. These units are available for immediate move-in and are
assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Any student who meets the
eligibility requirements (see
Am I eligible for housing?)
for Fuller housing may secure a walk-in unit for her/himself by giving us a
$500 nonrefundable security deposit for that particular unit. A walk-in unit
cannot be held for you without the security deposit. You do not have to
come to the Housing Office in order to secure a walk-in unit; instead, you can
secure it by phone, or e-mail, as long as a credit card deposit is given
with your message. However, you will need to start paying rent from the day you
leave your deposit and accept the unit, regardless of your actual move-in date. Click here to see
current available Walk-in Units.
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How is the wait-list determined?
As soon as we receive your housing application, you will be ranked and placed on
the waiting list according to the two following dates:
•
The specific date given for the earliest date you will pay
rent on your submitted application. This date will
determine where you are placed on the waiting list. By asking for
this specific date, we are not asking when you can physically move into Fuller
housing but how early you are willing to pay rent. Additionally, students should be aware
that this date does not guarantee an offer by this specified time but only
provides housing with an idea of personal preference. Without this date, your application
cannot be processed.
• The date we receive
your application at the Housing Office. Within the ranking determined by the
first date, your application will be ranked again according to the date our
office receives your application. Much depends on when you are willing to start paying rent on the
unit and how many residents are moving in or out at that time.
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How are offers made?
When your name comes up
to the top of the waiting list for the type of housing unit you desire, a
housing offer letter will be emailed to you. The offer letter email will be accompanied by floor plans of the
offered unit.
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How do I accept a unit?
If you decide to accept
a unit, you must respond by contacting the Housing Office by the deadline date
indicated on your offer letter. (The deadline date is usually 3 days after the date the letter was sent to you). If you do not
meet the deadline, we will assume you are no longer interested
in Fuller housing and your name will then be deleted from the waiting list. To
accept a unit, please reply to the email offer or contact us by phone and submit
the $500
nonrefundable security deposit.
Please be aware that we must receive your security deposit within
one calendar day from your deadline date and by placing a deposit on an
apartment you are therefore starting the lease process and will be responsible
for the lease agreement.
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What if I reject an
offered unit?
You may choose to reject the offer. However, it is
crucial that you inform us
that you are rejecting the offer. If you do not inform our office of your
decision, your name will be removed from the waiting list and you will not
receive any other offers. Based upon availability, you can receive up to a
maximum of three offer letters. If you do not accept a unit by the third offer,
your name will be deleted from the waiting list and you will need to reapply.
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What is a Security deposit?
To accept a Fuller
housing unit (see How do I accept a unit?), a $500
nonrefundable security deposit is required. This deposit must be received
by our office in order to start the move-in process. If we do not receive the
security deposit within one calendar day from the deadline date stated on your
offer letter, your housing unit will be forfeited and offered to the next person
on the waiting list. For your convenience, the security deposit can also be paid
over the phone with a credit card. (We accept Visa, Master Card, American
Express, and Discover.) Once the deposit is received, the unit you selected will
be held for you and guaranteed for your occupancy as soon as it is cleaned and
is available for you to move in. The security deposit is nonrefundable and commits you to
the specific
housing unit you are requesting to rent (please see How
do I accept a unit). If for any reason
you fail to sign the lease agreement for the housing unit to which you have
committed, Fuller Housing reserves the right to retain the security deposit as
compensation for lost rents and the time and expense incurred by the need to rerent the housing unit. When you move in, the
Security deposit will be
converted to a refundable security/cleaning deposit, which will be returned to
you when you move out minus any charges for damages or extraneous cleaning.
* Please note that our 6-month lease is
a Legal Binding Document and once this has been signed, you are responsible to
pay rent regardless if you are residing in Fuller housing, decide not to attend Fuller,
have not yet moved into the apartment, or you need to end your lease before the
lease end date. You are still responsible to pay rent on the apartment until
another student can take over your lease and a $100 administration fee will be
deducted from your security deposit once the future tenant moves into the unit.
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When is the starting date for my rent?
Each housing unit listed
in your offer letter (see How are offers made?) will
list an availability date. This date indicates when the unit will be cleaned and ready for
occupancy. When you decide to accept a unit (see
How do I accept a unit?), you will have to start paying
rent (with the CC information you had given us)—regardless of whether you will be residing in the apartment or not—from the
unit’s listed availability date. We make no exceptions to this
policy.
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How do
Fuller Housing rent rates compare to those in the area?
The chart below compares Fuller
Housing's rent rates of current and new students with that of other local apartments. As you can see Fuller Housing's rates are
10-30% below area rates. In the past 1-2 years, there are 2000+ new luxury
residential units being built within one mile of campus, many with rates 50%
above Fuller Housing's rates.
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What about financial aid?
Most Fuller students
live on a limited budget and usually require some form of
financial aid in order to meet the
high cost of living associated with obtaining a graduate or post-graduate
degree. There has been a common misconception among some incoming students that
financial aid will provide sufficient funds to pay for tuition and living
expenses—including rent.
Financial aid typically does not provide enough money to cover both
tuition and rent payments. We urge you to plan ahead for your housing costs
before coming to Fuller.
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How do I turn on my utilities?
It is your
responsibility to contact electricity, gas, and telephone companies prior to
moving in to establish accounts for your housing unit under your name. We will
provide you with a handout containing information on the companies we use;
however, with the recent deregulation of public utilities, you now have the
option to go with alternate, and possibly less expensive, companies if you
choose. If you are coming from outside the U.S., you may wait until you arrive
in Pasadena before setting up your utility accounts. Your water and sanitation
(garbage/sewer) fees will be covered by the Housing Office. A few of our single,
studio, and one-bedroom units have the electricity and gas charges included in
the rent. If you are interested in these units, please note it on your
application.
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How will I get my lease?
A lease will be sent to
your email address once we receive your $500 security deposit. You will
have 3 business days to read and fax over your signed lease back to the
Housing Office. Once you have signed this lease,
you will be responsible to pay for this apartment until the end of the lease
term (please see Security Deposit)
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What is the move-in
process?
You must notify the
Housing Office of your move-in date at least one week prior to your arrival in
Pasadena. Moving into your apartment begins at the Housing Office. The
lease agreement and the contracts which accompany the lease must be signed at
the office, and both the Security deposit and your prorated rent must be paid (if
they have not already been paid) before keys are issued and you can move in.
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What if I need to move in after office hours?
If you will be moving in
when the office is closed, you will need to notify us at least two weeks prior
to your arrival in Pasadena. Since we will not be available to help you when you
arrive, we will need to know your arrival schedule well in advance, in order to
make special arrangements.Your apartment
keys
can be given to your ResCom staff
(Community Coordinator or Liaison)
who will prepare for your arrival and wait for you. If time allows, the
ResCom Staff will aid you with moving in and getting situated into your
new home or try to mobilize neighbors to assist.)
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You will need to contact
the ResCom staff
personally in order to schedule a specific meeting time so that the coordinator
or liaison does not have to wait all day for your arrival. You are required to come into the
Housing Office the next business day to sign your
lease and complete
the move-in process.
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Do I need a
California driver's license & plates?
The CA Dept. of Motor Vehicles website says "If you take a job here or become a
resident, you must get a California driver license within 10 days" and
"nonresident vehicle owners who move to California must register their
out-of-state vehicles in California within 20 days of the date they accept
employment or establish residency." For more info go to www.dmv.ca.gov. CA DMV
lines are VERY long, so try to make an appointment first by calling
1-800-777-0133. Lines are often shorter at the Glendale DMV. Pasadena DMV: 49 N.
Rosemead. Glendale DMV: 1335 W. Glenoaks.
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What is an Intentional Community?
Fuller Housing's three
Intentional
Communities offer cooperative living in shared homes and Cohousing apartments.
Rooms are within our
Intentional Community (IC) shared homes and may be accepted by a single student,
two roommates, or a family of two. IC shared homes have a kitchen, living
areas, and bathrooms that are shared. Rent ranges from $545-695/month,
except for a few lofts or master suites which range from $625-950/month.
Some of our Intentional Communities
also offer studio, 1, 2, or 3-bedroom apartments or homes. Please see
descriptions and price ranges above. All of
Fuller Housing's Intentional Communities require an
application, in addition to
Fuller Housing's standard application.
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What is the difference between Traditional, Neighborhood, and Intentional
Communities?
Traditional Communities comprise the
bulk of Fuller Housing and consist entirely of Fuller students and their
families and are served by a Community Coordinator. Our Neighborhood
Communities blend Fuller students with non-Fuller neighbors in the same
community or area, and are staffed by a Community Liaison. Fuller’s Intentional
Communities offer cooperative living in shared homes and cohousing apartments
and have an Intentional Community Liaison.
Housing Communities
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What is the role of a
Community Coordinator or Liaison?
Each residential community or area
has a Community Coordinator or Liaison that seek to foster community and serve
as a communications links to Fuller Housing. For more details see
ResCom
staff.
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Do
single and married students have separate housing communities?
All of our housing communities are
intergenerational with singles, couples, and families mixed together to provide
more of a neighborhood feel.
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Is there separate
housing for International students?
We celebrate the fact that our nearly 150
international student residents from 60 nations are spread throughout our
housing to bring a special richness to our residential communities.
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