Housing Office Off Campus Living

Approximately 140 students are allowed to live off campus each semester. About 70 will reside at the off campus Ocean View apartments--a Westmont residential property. Up to 70 others will be allowed to live off campus in a non-Westmont property. Approval to live off campus must come from the Housing Office.

NOTE: The number for off campus commuters is likely to be modified for a brief period of time, due to COVID-19. 

How is off campus living requested?

  • Returning students may request to live off campus for the following academic year at this time:  Off Campus Application
  • Some requests are not granted, either due to ineligibility or to the limited number of spots allowed.
  • Any incoming student transfers interested in off campus living need to contact the Housing Office to verify qualifications and submit a request.

Who is allowed to live off campus?

The number of students who live off campus is limited by Westmont, so some students who wish to live off campus locally (in a non-Westmont property) might not be allowed to do so. During Housing Sign-Ups (the process for returning/continuing students), only seniors may request to live off campus (with a few exceptions). Such exceptions may include students over the age of 25, married students, a single parent caring for a dependent child, seniors in the Westmont Downtown program, participation in the Education Teaching Credential program, or by accommodation from the Office of Disability Services.

Approval for off campus living is granted by semester (not necessarily the entire academic year). The Housing Office reserves the right to determine all housing assignments (i.e. to approve or not approve requests to live off campus). Any student not approved to live off campus is required to reside in college housing as a condition of enrollment.

The housing codes recorded for students are posted on the student profile. The housing code for off campus living in a non-Westmont property is LCSB (i.e. Local Commuter in Santa Barbara). The housing code for off campus living at the Ocean View apartments is LCOV (i.e. Local Commuter at Ocean View). 

The limitation about off campus living is communicated to all students upon entry through the admission process (i.e. Housing Application), and on this Housing website.

Every student approved for off campus living is required to submit the Off Campus Living Agreement. 

  • Off campus commuters (from a non-Westmont property) must provide their off campus residence address (not a P.O. box) and phone contact information to Housing prior to the start of the semester.
  • If the local residence information changes at any time while living off campus, the commuter is required to re-submit the Off Campus Living Agreement with the updated information.
  • If the local address is not known at the time the Off Campus Living Agreement is submitted, the student must provide the off campus address to Housing before the start of the semester.
  • Failure to submit the Off Campus Living Agreement with a local address may result in a $50 administrative fee, the forfeiture of approval to reside off campus, or other sanctions.