Frequently Asked Questions

​Isla Vista is a lively student community located adjacent to the University of California Santa Barbara. All 3 student communities are a short bike ride to nearby shops, restaurants, ATMs and a leisurely 10-minute walk to the beach. Isla Vista is about 12 miles from Santa Barbara City College in downtown Santa Barbara, which is accessible by the 15X MTD bus.

​Resident Assistants are chosen in February-March for the following school year. We also hire students to work at our front desks. Check our website for other job postings. College Fresh, our food service provider, occasionally hires students as well.

Tropicana Student Housing, or Tropicana, offers housings for students attending UCSB, as well as SBCC. Tropicana offers three student residences.
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Tropicana Gardens
Tropicana Gardens is a privately managed residence hall that caters to UCSB students. Close to lecture halls and athletic venues, Tropicana Gardens is home to a diverse community of UCSB students. With 109 furnished suites, onsite dining, light housekeeping, and on-site Resident Assistants, Tropicana Gardens offers a four-year college residence hall experience like traditional residence halls through UCSB. Its convenient location and resort-style amenities (such as heated pool, fitness room, recreation room, and on-site café), makes it a favorite amongst incoming UCSB freshmen, transfer students, international students and athletes. 

Tropicana Del Norte
Tropicana Del Norte is a private residence hall for SBCC students located adjacent to the UCSB campus. With 51 furnished suites, onsite dining, light housekeeping, and on-site Resident Assistants, Tropicana Del Norte offers a four-year college residence hall experience for SBCC students, who would otherwise have to commute or live in apartments. Tropicana Del Norte provides an environment that supports academic success and facilitates a strong sense of community. We encourage our SBBC residents to participate in UCSB’s cross-enrollment program and provide free tutoring services. The convenience (door-to-door transportation to SBCC via MTD) and amenities (such as heated pool, recreation room, 24-hour study lounge, and covered/uncovered parking) make Tropicana Del Norte extremely popular with SBCC students.

Tropicana Villas
The Tropicana Villas apartments, situated three blocks from UCSB and five blocks from the beach, caters specifically to continuing students and provides independent apartment living while offering the convenience of by-the-bed leasing. The Villas has 48 fully furnished units, a heated pool, recreation room, laundry room and parking.

​Yes, Resident Assistants, or “RAs” live within the community to ensure an environment suitable to academic excellence for our Tropicana residents. In addition, our RAs help promote a convivial atmosphere by putting on a large assortment of events and programs for our residents. Some of these programs include: Casino Night, bon fire s’mores night, Halloween and Valentine Grams, Quad Wars (pool jousting, tug-of-war, etc.), yoga lessons, coordinating intramural sports teams, and much more!

​At Tropicana you sign an individual contract for a bed space in a shared unit. The pricing is per person, so you are responsible for you and only you, not your roommates. Tropicana offers a roommate matching portal for incoming residents staying for the full academic year. Residents can meet each other and find roommates before they move in if they sign up before the room selection process (a month before the lease start date).

​Tropicana has 3 locations within Isla Vista, CA.
 
Tropicana Gardens UCSB Residence Hall
6585 El Colegio Road, Isla Vista, CA
 
Tropicana Del Norte SBCC Residence Hall
6525 El Colegio Road, Isla Vista, CA
 
Tropicana Villas Apartments
811 Camino Pescadero, Isla Vista, CA
Tropicana Gardens and Tropicana Del Norte both have front desk services available on-site to welcome you for a tour and to assist our residents. Tropicana Gardens also offers front desk services to the Tropicana Villas property and is where our guests can begin their tour when they choose to visit.

​Tropicana has parking available for purchase if you choose to bring your car. Many residents bike, skateboard, scooter, or walk to UCSB. SBCC students may choose to take the 15X bus via the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (MTD) to and from campus. With your activities chip on your Student ID card from both UCSB and SBCC, it is free to ride any MTD bus. For more information regarding the bus, please visit www.sbmtd.gov.

Mailboxes are in the lobby, next to the office. Please use your suite number when using your
mailing address in the following manner:

For Tropicana Gardens:
(Your Name)
Suite # (Your Suite Number)
Tropicana Gardens
6585 El Colegio Road
Goleta, CA 93117-4614
 
For Tropicana Del Norte:
(Your Name)
Suite # (Your Suite Number)
Tropicana Del Norte
6525 El Colegio Road
Goleta, CA 93117-4616

For Tropicana Villas:
(Your Name)
811 Camino Pescadero
APT # (Your Apartment Number)
Goleta, CA 93117

Packages and signed deliveries for Tropicana Villas are delivered to the front desk at Tropicana Gardens.

The Tropicana offices have a bin for outgoing mail. Mail is picked up and delivered all throughout the day and will be processed as they arrive. Please be patient with our front office personnel while they are processing your mail and packages. We sort the mail and place it in the proper mailbox for each of our residents. Mail and packages will be processed as it arrives.
Packages are held for residents behind the front desk and require identification and a signature for pick up.
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USPS, UPS, and FedEx do not deliver or pick up on Sundays or National Holidays.

Front Desk Hours:
Monday – Friday: 8 am – 8:30 pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10 am – 8:30 pm  
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Business Office Hours:
Monday – Friday: 9 am – 5 pm

Please call our front desk at (805) 968-4319 or e-mail us at [email protected].

​For current residents, please consult the Contract Termination section of your contract. 

Tropicana Student Housing has a cancellation policy as follows: Cancellation requests within the first 72 hours of signing of the contract = $0 cancellation fee. Cancellation requests after 72 hours requires a contract replacement. Please email [email protected] for more information. 
 

Rent installment payments are due on the 1st of every month. Please refer to your contract through your account on the Resident Portal. A late fee will be assessed if payment is not received by the third day of the month in which it is due.

You or your guarantor may pay your rent by logging onto your resident portal. ACH (e-checks) are the primary payment option. ust like a traditional check, you provide your bank routing and checking account number, via our secure server, and the payment is sent electronically through the ACH system for immediate transfer. You’ll be able to instantly see your payment applied to your account.

​You may also mail your payment; be sure to include the residents name(s) and apartment number in the Memo area. Make your check out to Tropicana Villas and send your payment to: Tropicana Student Living, ATTN: Rent Payments; 6585 El Colegio Road, Goleta, CA 93117.
If you wish to make a contract payment with a credit card, you can do so through your resident portal for an additional credit card processing fee.

​You can use your Financial Aid funds towards your Tropicana costs however, charges are always posted monthly so it will be up to you to ensure those payments are made on-time or ahead of time based on your financial aid disbursement date. Please contact [email protected] if you have further questions or need additional information.

​Security deposit covers damages that may occur in the suite. The security deposit is refundable, less damages.

​All residents are welcome to bring your pet fish, with a tank up to 10 gallons. Please contact us if you have questions about bringing an ESA animal to the Tropicana community at [email protected].

​We do not insure your personal property or promote any particular insurance agency. However, we strongly recommend that you have renters' insurance on personal items such as musical instruments, computers, televisions, other electronics, etc. Homeowners insurance often covers property outside of the home, which means that your parents' homeowners' insurance may cover you Please ask your parents to check your homeowner's policy. If not, check local listings to find an insurance agency that will offer renter’s insurance as well as damages such as flooding or smoke damage.

​Residence Halls traditionally close for Thanksgiving holiday, Winter Break (includes Christmas and New Year’s) and Spring Break. If you are unable to go home during academic breaks because of school, athletic or work obligations, you may make arrangements to stay at Tropicana. Registration is required so we know who will be on-site over breaks. Please note that the front desk will be open reduced hours and the cafes are closed. We may also schedule maintenance or property work and we will notify anyone that will be on-site of any activity.  We are open Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day. 

Typically early move-in options are available and we will notify all incoming residents of their early move-in options in early to mid summer.

​After the front desk lobbies close, students must use their suite key to enter the building. Resident Assistants perform community walks of the facility in the evenings on a regular basis. Many staff members live on site and are available 24-hours a day.

​The Front Desk can assist if you are locked out, by providing a one-shot key that is active for 15 minutes. There is no charge for the first three lockouts per semester. Starting with the fourth lockout there is a $5.00 one-shot key charge. If the suite key is permanently lost, or if the one-shot key is not returned, there is a $10.00 key replacement fee.

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• If you are inside a building during an earthquake, stay inside.
• Sit or crouch against an interior hallway or take cover under a desk or table.
• Stay away from all glass areas such as windows and mirrors.
• Leave the building when the shaking stops and remain outside.
• Do not stand under overhangs on the outside of buildings. Move into the open and stay away from power lines.
• Follow safety instructions given by staff.

Fire in the Building

Upon discovery of a fire, make sure that everyone is out of the room. Leave the room and close the door behind you. Break the nearest fire alarm box, pull the fire alarm, and dial 911 to report the fire. Contact the nearest staff member and evacuate the building. All fires must be reported, even those which were self-contained and were put out. According to state and federal law, the fire department needs to investigate every fire.

Fire Alarm Evacuation Procedure

• Test your door for heat or smoke before exiting.
• Should the door be warm or the hallway impassable.
• Place towels or a blanket at the base of the door.
• Telephone the fire dispatcher at 911, giving name, address and room number.
• Go to the window and make your presence known.
• If the door is cool, exit the building immediately by the route which is posted on the back of your front door.
• Grab your shoes, jacket, and keys before evacuating.
• If you are in your room, lock your door and take your key when leaving.
• Once outside in the designated area, maintain 100 feet of clearance from the building. Please wait for instruction from staff or a trained professional.
• Re-enter the building only after receiving instructions to do so.

Every alarm must be treated as a genuine emergency. It is each resident’s responsibility to leave the building whenever a fire alarm sounds.

We encourage all residents to take responsibility for personal safety. For example, use a buddy or escort system for safe travel at night, whether out jogging, walking to and from campus, or going to Isla Vista for a late-night snack.
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Tropicana is a part of the UCPD jurisdiction. The UCPD will respond for law enforcement duties in and around Tropicana properties. We may also utilize some of the UCSB campus service organizations such as the Crime Prevention Program and Community Relations Programs as well as the Community Service Organization. For an emergency, call 911 immediately.

Absolutely! Tropicana offers different meal plan options to fit your needs. Learn more on our “Tropicana Meal Plan” page or email [email protected].
​

Tropicana Gardens and Tropicana Del Norte contracts include a 10-meal per week meal plan, with ability to adjust to 15 or 20 meals a week. Please see our pricing page for the most up-to-date meal plan rates. Through our management company College Fresh we offer one of the finest university dining service programs available. Each meal is prepared daily with a strong emphasis on nutrition using fresh, grade-A ingredients. A variety of menu items are offered at each meal, including low-fat, vegetarian, and vegan options. A salad bar and fresh-baked desserts are offered daily. Our menu is listed and updated weekly in the café.
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Tropicana Villas residents have the option to purchase a meal plan if they choose to. Learn more on our “off-campus meal plans” page or email [email protected].

We work hard to accommodate a wide variety of tastes and needs. Each meal is properly labeled and offers at least one vegetarian meal option. It is best to alert our management staff to your needs:

​Andreza Holt
Food Service Manager
[email protected]
Office: (805) 869-1401

​All bedrooms come with privacy locks installed.

​All residents received a twin-xl bed and a dresser. Some units have shared desks within the bedrooms.
 
All units come with a shared couch, coffee table, and media table.

​Pianos, organs, drums, electric guitars, hookahs, guns, weapons, dart boards, pets, candles, incense, water beds and firearms/explosives are not allowed at any Tropicana property.

​For Tropicana Gardens and Tropicana Del Norte housekeeping staff will provide light housekeeping services twice a month. Light housekeeping includes: vacuuming, dusting, and cleaning the bathroom. Students are responsible for emptying their own trash. If a suite is too messy, housekeeping reserves the right not to clean it.
 
Tropicana Villas does not include housekeeping.

​There are 24-hour quiet study lounges at Tropicana Gardens and Tropicana Del Norte that all Tropicana residents are welcome to use. UCSB campus also offers plenty of study space for students.

​The number of students in those bedrooms depends on the contract type you choose and the co-tenants in your unit.

Once your contract has been accepted, we will use your Profile to match you with compatible roommates, or you can find your own roommates by comparing profiles with other Trop residents.

​All 3 Tropicana communities have on-site laundry facilities. You can pay to wash and dry your laundry with a credit/debit card. 

​To learn more about our floor plans options, please visit the “Floor Plans” page.

​Tropicana is a co-ed building. The individual suites are assigned by gender. If you have any questions or special requests about your housing, please email [email protected].

​Residents will be able choose their unit or room though our online Roommate Matching and Room Selection service. Room choices will become available in late summer. Students who complete their contract by the time room selection takes place mid-summer will have the opportunity to choose their own room.

​Things that you should bring are sheets (extra long twin), blankets, pillows, pillowcases, bedspread, towels, washcloths, toilet paper, alarm clock, computer, radio, beach towel, bicycle, lock, iron, non-halogen study lamp, and toiletries. You may also want to bring a personal TV for a bedroom (TV in living room is included), personal items, laundry soap, and a personal refrigerator All rooms have blinds on the windows.

For Tropicana Gardens and Tropicana Del Norte:
 
All suites come furnished with a microwave and refrigerator. Please know that cooking is not permitted in the suites.

Cooking equipment, including but not limited to hot plates, toasters, George Foreman type grills, electric fry pans, toaster ovens, unattended cookers such as slow cookers or pressure cookers, rice cookers, hot oil popcorn poppers, open coil heating devices or anything with an exposed heating element, is not allowed in the residence hall.
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Closed-element appliances, such as hot air popcorn poppers, single serving coffee makers (like a Keurig), blenders and refrigerators are allowed.

For Tropicana Villas:
All units come furnished with a gas oven and range, a microwave, and a full-sized refrigerator. Residents are welcome to bring cooking appliances and use them in the designated kitchen area.
 

Yes, there is an Ethernet connection in each suite. Each resident may have several devices (laptop, smartphone) registered on our wireless connection.

Tropicana has an outside provider named Pavlov Media that hosts all of our Internet-related questions. Tropicana has both wireless and hard-wired Internet for your convenience. The Pavlov Media staff is available 24 hours a day/7 days a week. Their number is 1-888-472-8568 and their website is www.pavlovmedia.com.
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With our 500 Mb of bandwidth, Tropicana should have high-speed service with excellent coverage. However, if you do experience slowdowns or other issues, be sure to email Tropicana at [email protected] if and when you experience any Internet issues, giving as much detail as possible (date/time, computer & browser used, wired vs. wireless, etc.).

If you have any internet issues, we want to hear about them! We have worked hard with our Internet Management Provider, Pavlov Media, to enhance the quality and strength of our wireless networks over the past year, and if there are any issues, don’t hesitate to let us know immediately so we can investigate and resolve them quickly!

The first step you can take is to verify that you are connected to the PavlovMedia wireless network, and make sure your wireless card is turned on.
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Please call Pavlov Media’s tech support line and have them help you troubleshoot issues. You can call their 24/7 phone number at 1 (888) 4-PAVLOV, or 1 (888) 472-8568. If you decide to call the Pavlov Tech Support line, you can also inform Tropicana’s on-site team at [email protected] so we can help follow up with Pavlov and you. If you choose to call Pavlov, it is important for you to call them as it is happening because they may ask you for specific information about your computer and connection.

​We have staff that takes care of any maintenance problems residents may have, from a broken window to a faulty toilet. Please contact the front desk at (805) 968-4319 to submit a maintenance request, or submit your request through the resident portal. If the issue is an after-hours emergency, please contact the RA Duty cell phone at (805) 637-5046.

​Tropicana’s plumbing systems are equipped to handle water, toilet paper, and human waste. To help you keep your new home free of plumbing problems, here are some helpful tips:

• Avoid putting garbage, food, dirt, potting soil, sand, paper towels, “flushable” wipes, and feminine hygiene products down your sink, shower, or toilet.
• Avoid pouring oil, coffee grounds or other solids into the sinks or toilets
• Keep the shower curtain inside the tub to avoid water leaking onto the floor.
• Remove hair from the sink and tub promptly so it will not build up and slow the drain. (Sink and toilet clogs can usually be unstopped with the bathroom plunger provided by Tropicana).

​Residents under 21 years of age may not consume alcohol at any Tropicana property. Residents over 21 years of age may consume alcohol in their room but not in the presence of minors or in public areas. If alcohol use is seen, smelled or heard, it is considered public, visible, and in violation of this policy. By contract, any staff members who witness this (by sight, smell, or noise) may enter and search the suite and/or room for policy violations.

​Guests are welcome up to three days in a 14-day period if everyone in the unit isen agreement, with the exception of the Halloween and Deltopia period, when no guests are allowed on the property. You will find out more about this from your RA during your first month here at Trop.

​Tropicana Student Housing is a 100% smoke-free community. We do not offer any smoking areas on premises, and smoking must be done off property. The same policies apply to all vapes and e-cigarettes. They can not be smoked in the suite and we do not offer any smoking areas on premises. 

​The best place to start is with your Tropicana Resident Assistant, who is a student staff member living in your community. There are also professional staff members who focus on the students’ concerns while living at Trop who are available during business hours to assist you. Counseling services are also available on the UCSB and SBCC campuses.
 
Where do I find the Community Standards for Living at Tropicana Student Housing handbook?
 
The Community Standards can be found in the Student Handbook, located on our website. Each resident will also receive an orientation to our community standards during the Town Hall meeting on move-in day and during a suite meeting with their RA during the first month of school.

​When you arrive at Tropicana, you will meet your Resident Assistant (RA) for the year. Your Resident Assistant can assist you with any issues related to your suite or roommates, or may even be able to direct you to on-campus resources.

​Every year we house more than 50 international students at Tropicana. We have welcomed residents from all over the world including Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, New Zealand, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand and many more.

​Most international residents choose to live with other American students, but depending on how late or early you apply for a contract, your housing situation may differ. In our three Tropicana communities, we house around 1,000 students, so you will be surrounded by people from all around California, the United States, and other countries. With our Roommate Matching service, you can find other international or American students with whom you would be a good match.

​Yes. Many residents take the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (MTD) bus to and from downtown Santa Barbara and the nearby Camino Real Marketplace. With your UCSB student ID card, it is free to ride any MTD bus.  The 24x bus line south takes you downtown and 24X heading north takes you to Camino Real Marketplace.

​No, international students are welcome to stay at Tropicana residence halls during all academic breaks as we realize it is much harder for international students to travel home or to arrange alternate housing. Note that the cafés will be closed during all academic breaks.

​All early arrival scheduling can be arranged through our leasing department. Please contact us [email protected].

​Tropicana has summer camps moving in immediately upon the closing of the academic year, but we may be able to accommodate you. If you will be departing later than the closing date of Tropicana please contact our leasing department at [email protected].