Tenant Scores Win Against Isla Vista Landlord

The property scene in Isla Vista can be characterized by its packed houses, inflated rental prices, and monopolistic behavior among landlords, which most UC Santa Barbara students tolerate in order to live near friends and campus. However, former I.V. tenant Katelin Danaher took local housing management company Playa Life IV to court last month on the grounds of overcrowding and illegal development — and won.

Danaher, then a newly arrived third-year transfer student to UCSB without knowledge of the competitive Isla Vista housing market, moved into a three-bedroom house on El Nido Lane during the summer of 2019. Although the lease stated that occupancy of more than 11 tenants was not permitted, Danaher was under pressure to find accommodation, so she signed on as the 12th tenant; the lease was reviewed and approved by Playa Life IV manager Grant Denham.

“I feel that they’re taking advantage of UCSB students’ desperation for housing, and they’re price gouging,” said Danaher. “It’s a three-bedroom house, but they’re charging $10,000 a month for rent, so you have to squeeze in as many kids as possible. They’re doing this all for profit, and they’re doing this because they can.”