Group Living Accommodation, Mini-Dorm, and Co-op Registry

Owners of group living accommodations (GLA), mini-dorms, and co-ops must register with the City of Berkeley by September of each year. As part of the registration, you will need to provide current contact information for the owner, property manager, and a responsible resident. 

Register your mini-dorm

Anyone can access a public map of all registered properties to find contact information for owners, property managers, and responsible residents.

DEFINITIONS OF GROUP LIVING ACCOMMODATIONS, MINI-DORMS, AND CO-OPS

Group living accommodations (GLA) are buildings or units that are occupied by individuals of separate households. GLAs are characterized by separate sleeping rooms without individual kitchen facilities, and containing congregate bath and/or dining facilities or rooms.

Mini-dorms are buildings in residential districts that are occupied by six or more adults. Sororities, fraternities, and student co-ops are not considered mini-dorms, as long as they have a resident manager.

Co-ops—or cooperative housing—are a type of shared housing in which residents own shares of the complex rather than owning units. A co-op runs like a nonprofit corporation and has a board of directors, while its residents are shareholders.

OWNERS MUST REGISTER AND DESIGNATE A RESPONSIBLE RESIDENT

If you own a group living accommodation (GLA), mini-dorm, or co-op, you must register with the City of Berkeley. During registration, you will provide contact information for yourself, your property manager (if you have one), and your designated responsible resident.

You must designate one resident of your property to serve as the responsible resident. You and the resident should sign the Compliance Agreement and email it to manager@cityofberkeley.info. You will need to submit an agreement any time the responsible resident changes or by September 1st each year. 

If you own a GLA with more than 15 residents, or if you own more than one mini-dorm, you must hire a property manager. The property manager does not need to live on-site, but must be available and authorized to respond to complaints about the property at all times.

APPLICATION FOR EXEMPTION

Some GLA residents may be eligible to apply for an exemption from some of the requirements if they provide evidence of alternate operating procedures that satisfy municipal code. These measures must be monitored by a recognized third-party entity. If you believe you qualify, download, fill out, and sign the application, then email to codeenforcement@cityofberkeley.info.

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FOR EXEMPTION

If this application is approved, you will receive a signed copy of a GLA Functional Equivalence Exemption, effective on the date of the approval notice. If you fail to update the application with any new information within 30 days of a substantive change, this approval will lapse and you may be subject to enforcement action.

PROPERTY MANAGERS OR OWNER MUST NOTIFY NEIGHBORS ANNUALLY

Each year, either the property manager or the owner must give notice to residents within 300 feet of the property. The notice should include:

• Existence and location of the GLA, mini-dorm, or co-op
• Contact information for the responsible resident (or on-site property manager)
• Contact information for the property manager and owner
• Contact information should include a phone number that is reachable at any time.
• You must send the notice annually by September 1st or any time the contact information changes.

Responsible resident’s responsibilities

The responsible resident must sign a Compliance Agreement, agreeing to take responsibility for:

• Notifying neighbors at least 48 hours in advance of an event, and providing contact information
• Managing collection of trash and recycling, and returning bins after collection
• Ensuring that residents are using off-street parking in approved spaces
• Responding to complaints within 24 hours, and keeping a log of complaints for 24 months
• Notifying the owner or property manager of violation notices for smoking pollution or multiple responses to loud or unruly parties