Living Off Campus: Students express dismay with off-campus living

Students often say they move off-campus for the larger rooms and lower rents. But for some, living off campus also means dealing with maintenance problems, security risks and an occasional lawsuit. And the number of reported off-campus problems is rising, according to statistics complied by Mihaela Farcas, the assistant director of the Office of Off-Campus Living. OCL responded to 817 questions or incidents reported off-campus in 1995-96 -- up from 740 in 1994-95. Some students said they think their landlords are taking advantage of them. "It is a built-in clientele, and students have to stay around campus, so they are at the mercy of landlords," College senior Jeff Wachs said. "My limited experience has been that it is real easy to take advantage of us." Wachs, a former University City Housing tenant, is currently engaged in a lawsuit against the company. He refused to explain the reasons behind the lawsuit because the case is still pending. But Bill Groves, a manager for UCH, said cases like these are usually settled without having to resort to litigation. "Off-Campus Living usually steps in," Groves said. "If tenants don't take it to OCL we tend to, and 9 out of ten times we come to some kind of arrangement." While lawsuits may be unusual, frequent student complaints against their landlords are fairly common. And problems sometimes occur as soon as students move in. Several students complained that their houses were not clean and properly furnished when they arrived. College junior Stephanie Klupinski, who lives at 505 South 41st Street, said her landlord -- Orens Brothers -- didn't live up to an agreement to clean and repair her apartment before she moved in. Orens Brothers also didn't fix a hole in her roof until it rained, because representatives were not convinced there actually was a problem, she added. Orens Brothers did not respond to repeated phone calls last week. Groves said students wait longer for repairs earlier in the year because of the volume of move-in week requests the landlords receive. Most complaints seem to occur in the area of maintenance. Landlords explained that emergency complaints take priority. But students and landlords disagree as to which complaints constitute emergencies. College junior Nicole Hill, a resident of 309 South 40th Street, said three leaks in her roommate's bedroom forced the other student to live at home and commute from New Jersey this semester. But Demetri Melekos, a manager for Peachtree Properties, which handles the house, said Hill "did not bother going through proper channels about fixing things." And many landlords said their buildings are in good condition, adding that repairs are done promptly. According to the most recent OCL survey, completed in 1994-95, landlords William Schoepe, Allen Klein, Penn Apartments and Barry Davis top the list in the categories of landlord-tenant relationship, repair responsiveness and apartment quality. OCL's survey gave University City Associates the highest marks for safety of University City landlords. But students said safety remains a concern in living off campus. College sophomore Carla Gittleman said Realty World failed to replace the safety bars that block the front door of her summer apartment at 251 South 41st Street. The apartment was burglarized later in the summer. But owner and broker Alex Chamberlain said Gittleman never informed Realty World that the door was insecure. "We would have repaired it," Chamberlain said. "I could be sued for that -- that is not like a dripping sink." Expressing concern about safety, College senior Michele Harris said UCH failed to replace a broken porch light in front of her building for two months last year. And College sophomore Jennifer Safady questioned UCH's practice of keeping a copy of tenants' keys and alarm codes. "I came back to my room and a UCH employee was sitting on my bed on my phone, and I freaked out," the 3932 Spruce Street resident said. Though she understands why landlords need access to buildings, she said she's uncomfortable that "everyone has your key." Groves explained that UCH enters apartments only to make repairs and to show the apartment to prospective tenants. He said students may request that repairs be done only when they are home. Fire safety issues also worry some students, including Hamilton Court resident Ben Goldberger. The College and Engineering junior explained that residents of Hamilton Court's A building have to use a fire escape that leads to a fenced-in and locked alleyway. "Presumably, [the fire department] would either batter down the gates, or find the keys to the padlocks, or go through an apartment in one of the other [Hamilton Court] buildings and let us out through their fire escape," Goldberger said. Groves explained that while the alleyway is locked, it extends for one whole block and wouldn't confine the students. He added that Hamilton Court is inspected for fire safety at least three times a year. Other students, like College senior Amy Gross, complained about a lack of landlord guidance regarding proper trash disposal and related fines. Herman said many residents of University Enterprises buildings have had trash-related problems. The landlord, therefore, has been backed up with requests for help. Difficulties with landlords have soured many students to the idea of moving off-campus. College sophomore Doug Roberts said after his experiences living off campus this year, he will not live in any UCH buildings again. Other students, however, prefer landlords with a hands-off approach. "My room is fine, my house is intact and [Realty World representatives] are not around too much, which I see as just fine," Wharton doctoral student Jonathan Brookfield said. And many students said off-campus housing still beats living in University dorms.