Over-Occupancy, Group Occupancy, Rooming Houses, College Towns

[boiker]

As metioned in http://www.cyburbia.org/forums/showthread.php?t=11629 the definition of a family is usually included in a zoning ordinance in college towns or other areas that experience over occupied structures.

I'm looking for studies, codes, or other information that shows how communities are addressing over occupancy in student housing. There is concern that student landlords are "slum" lords. The student housing is in bad shape and often, extremely overoccupied.

 

[SGB]

The Village of Potsdam, NY (Clarkson University, SUNY Potsdam) has done a lot of code revision and enforcement work to address the issues of overcrowded and sub-standard student housing. Efforts include a rental unit inspection program, through which all rental units are inspected once every three years for code (zoning & building) compliance.

Contact: Code Enforcement Officer, Civic Center, Potsdam NY 13676. (315) 265-7678

 

[plannerkat]

Tallahassee, Florida went through this a few years back in an effort to deal with over-occupied rental houses in SF neighborhoods. I can't recall the ultimate outcome, however.

 

[boiker]

The Village of Potsdam, NY (Clarkson University, SUNY Potsdam) has done a lot of code revision and enforcement work to address the issues of overcrowded and sub-standard student housing. Efforts include a rental unit inspection program, through which all rental units are inspected once every three years for code (zoning & building) compliance.

Contact: Code Enforcement Officer, Civic Center, Potsdam NY 13676. (315) 265-7678

We currently have a city wide rental inspection program. However, as codified, zoning compliance is not considered during the (every 3 year) inspection. Only health, saftey, building, environmental issues are inspected.

We are currently exploring code changes to allow zoning to participate in the rental inspections. But, I'm also interested in code that can be put in the zoning ordinance directly related to permits to allow "more than 3 unrelated" or 1 occupant per bedroom..or similar.

 

[JNA]

Check with
Bloomington, IN - University of Indiana - http://bloomington.in.gov/planning/
Muncie, IN - Ball State - http://www.co.delaware.in.us/Departments/PlanCommission2/INDEX.HTM

 

[mike gurnee]

From a session at the Denver APA conference (sorry I don't have the direct links):
Licensing:
Bloomington IN
Boulder CO
Gainesville FL
Columbia MO
Nakato MN

Rooming Houses:
Chapel Hill NC
Blacksburg VA

Disorderly House:
Manhattan KS (probably not needed after el Guapo graduated)

Special Districts:
Allentown PA

Also there is a Zoning News article from May 2002 on the subject

 

[ludes98]

The City of Tempe surrounds Arizona State (ASU), #1 on a mens magazine ;-) recent party school list. The City created a portion of code to deal with the party issue. They also passed a Rental Housing Code a couple of years ago.

 

[DecaturHawk]

There's a good website called "College Town Issues" which has a lot of links to this and similar subjects:

College Town Issues ([url]http://www.users.muohio.edu/karrowrs/College/index.html)[/URL]

 

[RSK]

Town/Gown Occupancy Limits

The College Town Issues site has page devoted to information on occupancy limit ordinances in a number of cities:

http://www.users.muohio.edu/karrowrs/College/CT_Less_Than_3.htm

The "The Seven-Nun Conundrum: Seeking Divine Guidance in the Definition of "Family" piece is particularly interesting.

 

[SW MI Planner]

Our problem is how do you prove over occupancy? We have a few landlords that are basically running a boarding house for transient workers. This isn't really the problem. The problem is you have a 4 bedroom house, with 12 occupants. They work different shift, andshare beds. We know they are doing this, but haven't been able to prove it.

 

[boiker]

Our problem is how do you prove over occupancy? We have a few landlords that are basically running a boarding house for transient workers. This isn't really the problem. The problem is you have a 4 bedroom house, with 12 occupants. They work different shift, andshare beds. We know they are doing this, but haven't been able to prove it.

and that's why planner's bang there heads into walls. The complaints pour in.. you tell them you can't build a defendable case and they accuse you of pay-offs and serving political interests.

I always tell these complaintants, if I can't obtain the information...please assist me and provide me the evidence I need. After all, the complaintants are there all day and can take pictures of violations when I can't.

I have another case where a person has finished the upstairs and basement of his home.. Clearly two living spaces and he is renting out the basement. However, there is not locked doors or walls or other seperation of living spaces. I can't call his house an illegal duplex conversion.. but I know that is what it is.

 

[Rem]

Sorry I can't help Boiker but the following quote caught my eye:

....Disorderly House: Manhattan KS (probably not needed after el Guapo graduated) ....

Because around here a disorderly house is a brothel. Not quite the same problem but one that maybe also went away when eG left town (sorry eG).