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Listing Owner

Member Since 2013

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Academic Faculty or Staff
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Listing Owner

Member Since 2013

Trust Score (22)
Academic Faculty or Staff
Connected Member
Listing Owner user icon

Urban Oasis - spacious 2 bedroom plus separate studio

Berkeley, California, United States
Rates from USD $5237 | Monthly

House | Entire Home
Available Dates:
From December 15, 2026 until August 31, 2027

Description

Our house has 2 bedrooms and 1.5 baths on 1250sqft upstairs and a separate 350sqft studio at garden-level. We're looking for people to enjoy the space and care for it well while we're on sabbatical in Europe. Since we have severe allergies, that care needs to be free of smoke and synthetic chemicals (see below). If that sounds good, then here are the pros: Upstairs has a large bedroom (king bed), a medium bedroom (twin bed + pullout twin), and a full bath with 2 person jacuzzi tub. The living room has a sleeper couch, extra mattresses for guests or play, and an adjacent sunporch. The open kitchen has an adjacent dining / office area overlooking the garden, with another half bathroom. Downstairs is a large studio space with individual entrance. The newly built kitchen features a mini-fridge, dishwasher, cooktop, toaster oven, and ninja foodi oven. The bathroom comes with a shower in the sauna - whose heater element is broken as of now. (Let us know if fixing that would make a difference!) See the Property Link below for more pictures! Note: The upstairs and downstairs spaces have separate entrances, bathrooms, and kitchens, but they are *not* independent units due to shared air, heat, warm water, and soundscape. So the best use case is a single group/family. We are open to separate parties using the two parts - but would write one lease and expect the parties to arrange their cohabitation amongst themselves. The garden features fruit trees & shrubs (lime, lemon, 2 apples, cherry, plum, fig, persimmon, blackberries, raspberries, grapes), beds which grow great veggies when cared for, a little lawn, a patio, another sitting area with fire ring, and a tree house on top of the garden shed. The basement features new washer and dryer and plenty of space for storage, bikes, etc. Only the garage will be locked, as we will store our bikes and campervan there. However, parking is easy in the driveway and/or on the street with a Berkeley residential permit. It's also just a quick walk to public transit of all kinds, and this is a very bikeable part of Berkeley. Neighbours on all sides are wonderful with fairly active neighbourhood groups and a practice that social gatherings outdoors are quiet by 10:00 pm. At 1-2 blocks distance you'll find Chochmat HaLev Synagogue, La Pena Cultural Center, Irish Starry Plough Pub, LGBTQ White Horse Inn, great burgers, pho, mexican. Walks under a mile get you to most cuisines, cafes,parks, Berkeley Bowl supermarket, Whole Foods, Walgreens, Ace Hardware, Sports Basement, Pet Food express, various doctors & urgent care, BART, public library (also for tools!), and epic Sunday brunch at Wat Mongkolratanaram temple. The house is fully electrified and runs on solar power, including a battery and EV charging. There are dedicated outlets for 220V appliances in both kitchens (along with various european appliances like a fondue-raclette). Rent includes wifi and basic utility costs. The tenants will be billed for water usage beyond the ebmud basic rate (172 gallons per day) and electricity not covered by the solar system. (The panels produce 500-1400kWh, historically covering the usage during April-October, with other months ranging up to $400 depending on heating choices.) Frangrance-free Details: * No smoking of any kind - in or outside of the house. * Please don't burn incense or dispense fragrances the house. * Our cleaning team uses unscented products. Please use the same products or check with us. * There is unscented laundry detergent, and we ask that you keep using that for any items that we provide. * Bodycare products are your choice, just please don't spray things within the house. * No "air fresheners" please - even if they are labeled "natural". * We can make recommendations if there are smells that you'd like to manage. * Don't hesitate to ask about anything! You can also find resources at https://eastbaymeditation.org/resources/fragrance-free-at-ebmc

Bedrooms
3

Bathrooms
3

Offices
0

Size
1,600 ft2

Suited For
8

Property Type
House

Availability

From December 15, 2026 until August 31, 2027

Minimum Stay

3 Months | Dates are flexible for this listing

Comments: dates are somewhat unclear but also flexible

Location

House in Berkeley, California, United States

Closest University

UC Berkeley

Nearby Universities
Mills College at Northeastern University | University of California San Francisco | University of California, Berkeley | Saint Mary's College of California | BCC | Laney | Merritt | Mills | SFSU
Neighborhood

South Berkeley

Nearby Cities

Berkeley | Oakland | San Francisco

Comments: Quiet, walkable neighborhood with beautiful gardens. Close to popular restaurants, good schools, excellent grocery stores, and coffee shops. 10 minutes walk to BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station and 30 minutes walk to UC Berkeley Campus.

Explore the Area

Surroundings

  • Off Campus
  • Walk to Campus
  • Bike to Campus
  • Urban
  • Writer's Sanctuary
  • Near Park
  • Near Restaurants
  • Near Neighborhood School
  • Near Shops
  • Near Public Transportation

Rental Rates and Terms

Rates from USD $5237 Monthly | Negotiable

The cost of utilities can be discussed

A cleaning service can be discussed

Comments: Trusted cleaners are available at $120 per cleaning. Tenants will be billed for utility use beyond basics (see description).

Considerations

The home is suitable for young kids

Ask about bringing pets

Smoking is not allowed

A car is not available

Comments: Depending on kids' security needs, some kid-proofing would be necessary - e.g. around a tree-house. Pets upstairs are OK. Downstairs, we would need to avoid damage to - or hairs left in - the carpet.

Features

Interior

Furnished

Connectivity

High Speed Internet

Wi-Fi

Exterior

Balcony or Patio

Garden

Dedicated Parking

Backyard

Accessibility

Stairs

Temperature Control

Air Conditioning

Appliances

Oven

Stove

Microwave

Refrigerator

Dishwasher

Washer

Dryer

Comments: solar EV charging can be set up (outlet is in the garage)

Reviews

There are no reviews posted here yet.

Listing Owner user icon

Listing Owner

Member Since 2013

Trust Score (22)
Academic Faculty or Staff
Connected Member

Listing Owner

Member Since 2013

Trust Score (22)
Academic Faculty or Staff
Connected Member
Listing Owner user icon