The apartment vacancy rate in the city of Davis improved slightly to 0.5 percent this fall, and average rents rose by 6.3 percent, according to a survey conducted by the University of California, Davis. However, the apartment vacancy rate is among the least favorable for the decade, second only to last year's 0.3 percent. And the rental-rate increase is the highest since 1991, when it rose by 8.8 percent. Of 10 types of rental units, only three had an average rental-rate increase below 5 percent: unfurnished studios, three-bedroom unfurnished and six-bedroom unfurnished. The Student Housing Office at UC Davis surveyed 175 apartment complexes with five or more rental units in October and November; 163 responded. Out of a total of 8,228 units, just 39 were vacant. The 12 complexes that did not respond to the survey have a total of about 170 units. "While the slight increase in the vacancy rate is favorable, the trend showing more competition for students seeking multifamily housing is of concern," said Patricia Kearney, executive director of student housing. "The Davis community continues to be a very desirable place to live, not just for homeowners but also for renters." During the past year, one apartment complex opened in the city, another opened on campus and a residence hall reopened after renovations, adding units that university officials said should have easily handled growing numbers of students. UC Davis had a total of 26,094 undergraduate, graduate and professional students in fall 2000, an increase of 1,002 students from the previous fall. Vacancy rates are not exclusively related to university enrollment, Kearney said, and the numbers indicate significant occupancy by nonstudents. UC Davis, which currently houses 5,803 students on campus, expects to have room to accommodate all interested freshmen again next year, when the enrollment of new students is expected to decrease by 88 students to 6,100. Total enrollment is projected to grow by 1,131 students to 27,225. The university plans to add dining commons space and more housing in the Segundo area on campus; the preliminary goal is to open 300 beds in 2003. And planning has begun for additional housing in the Tercero area of campus. This fall, the Adobe at Evergreen complex, at Shasta Drive at Covell Boulevard, opened with 120 units. On campus, The Colleges at LaRue opened, with a capacity to house more than 600 continuing undergraduate, graduate and professional students. West of Recreation Hall, the complex is privately owned and managed by Tandem Properties. Unavailable last year during renovations, Emerson Hall reopened this fall to accommodate 500 freshmen.