EDITORIAL: Setting the standard of living

Area properties and University students have suffered too long at the hands of local landlords. Now, area landlords are enjoying the best market in about a decade. But it's not because of the product most of them are offering. Rather, the boom is the result of the fact that on-campus graduate housing is full, undergraduate dorms are near capacity and Center City can't accommodate a single additional resident. So students must settle for even the most run-down of properties. And landlords are free to ignore daily calls for repairs. But this situation -- which has obviously worked in the local landlords' favor -- won't last for long. In the next 10 years, the University plans to funnel vast amounts of money into its campus housing system. This will mean not only additional dormitories, but upgrades to existing ones. In theory, on-campus residences will be increasingly desirable. At the same time, there are plans for new housing developments in Center City. The bottom line for University City landlords is that they are going to have to step it up to stay in the competition. With this in mind, the recent creation of a committee to develop standards for safety and general aesthetics that all local landlords would adhere to shows good foresight. But even more importantly, these standards should ensure that neither the rental properties nor students get abused in the shuffle. Adequate security, up-to-date plumbing, cleaning between tenants, regular extermination and the timeliness of repairs are among the minimums that should be required without question. And given that these measures should increase the longevity of the properties and save landlords money in the longrun, we would ask that the already ludicrous rent prices in University City see at most a minor increase. Certainly, setting standards for upkeep doesn't free student-renters from their responsibility to respect their temporary homes. And landlords have every right to hold their tenants to their leases and keep deposits if clauses are violated. But we would also like to make sure that landlords hold true to their end of the bargain. The only way to enforce the standards is by word of mouth. If you have consistent problems with your landlord, let someone in the Office of Off-Campus Living know. Additionally, the student-run Penn Consumer Board sends surveys most years to several thousand off-campus residents, asking them about their living experience. Student response is essential for success of the survey. Whether you've had a good or bad experience, don't throw those questionnaires away. Walking through the streets around campus, one can see shadows of a glorious Victorian neighborhood. If nothing else, both landlords and students should make an effort to try to maintain what is left of that beauty.