4 ms·

don't know about berkeley specifically, but some towns have laws against more than a set number of unrelated people living together.

• jacquesm 8y ago
  Interesting. Amsterdam actually has a scheme that promotes this ('woongroep') for the express purpose of accommodating students.
  • gt_ 8y ago
    In America, all it takes is a developer not making their money back (i.e. not wanting to be a “risk-taker” anymore) and these sorts of laws magically disappear.
• astura 8y ago
  Indeed, however, the number is usually very reasonable, usually 5+, its not gonna stop a grad student from saving money on rent. Though the court case that upheld these laws as constitutional, Village of Belle Terre v. Boraas, the zoning law was extreme at limiting only two unrelated persons - which is extreme.
  • TaylorAlexander 8y ago
    Reasonable to you, but others may think 20+ is fine. I’m not sure what the law is even trying to protect, or why it matters.
    • astura 8y ago
      It's zoning ordinances and like any zoning ordinance its aimed at controlling or maintaining the character of the neighborhood, preventing frat houses and group homes in certain neighborhoods, etc. If parking for one family is expected and 8 students take up the whole block, etc. It's limited to unrelated persons because "family status" is a protected class under housing law. Different houses on the same street can be zoned differently. My house is zoned "single family" but two houses down is zoned "boarding house."