Rental issues among top concerns for University of Iowa students

In his role as University of Iowa student government president, Elliot Higgins said he hears often from his student constituents about the issues they're facing.

“And I think that landlord-tenant issues are probably the primary concern that UI students have,” Higgins said. “I have heard of widespread instances of tenants being taken advantage of.”

And, Higgins said, with a growing pool of student renters and limited rental options, landlord-tenant conflicts persist. Since 2009, UI Student Legal Services has been taking more than 300 cases a year involving tenant-landlord issues.

The UI's limited on-campus housing might be a contributing factor, officials say, as it keeps the student demand for rental units high and empowers landlords managing the supply. According to U.S. News and World Report's recent college rankings, the UI - with 30 percent - has a smaller portion of its undergraduate population living on campus than most Big Ten and Iowa universities.

The University of Nebraska and Michigan State University, for example, have 40 percent of their student body living on campus, while Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa have on-campus living rates of 45.6 percent and 39.1 percent, respectively.

City officials, attorneys, and student advocates are working to improve tenant-landlord relationships and educate student renters about their rights.

Higgins, for example, has worked to change the City Code regarding disclosure information on leases, and he's creating a website through the student government office advising students on their rental rights. Eventually, Higgins said, he hopes the site will let students rate landlords and housing.

UI Student Legal Services is ramping up its involvement in student-landlord issues by holding seminars and reminding students of their legal options. And Iowa City is pushing through ordinances that, among other things, prevent construction of multifamily dwellings with more than three bedrooms per unit in hopes of encouraging different types of housing and providing renters with more choices.

The university is constructing a new residence hall, the 11th, and a 12th dormitory geared specifically toward upper classmen could follow.

“It would be a different type of housing experience than what we currently provide,” said Von Stange, director of the UI's housing department. “It's going to be closer to what they see off campus. It will be more like apartments or suites.”

Stange said some universities have higher on-campus residency rates than Iowa because they have “live-on” requirements that keep sophomores and juniors in dorms. At Iowa, freshman account for most of the on-campus residents, Stange said.

“And we haven't encouraged returning students to live on campus because we need the space for first-year students,” Stange said.

Iowa City attorney Chris Warnock said the more diversity Iowa City can add to its landlord landscape, the better. Right now, according to Warnock, large landlord companies take advantage of naive student renters.

In an effort to hold landlords accountable for what he calls “illegal provisions” in rental leases, Warnock has helped students file class-action and small claims lawsuits against large property management firms, including one that goes by the name Apartments Downtown.

The lawsuits allege, among other things, that the company charges illegal cleaning fees, makes tenants pay for routine maintenance and holds renters responsible for damages to common areas that they didn't cause.

“Legally, what you are allowed to do is be compensated for your damages,” Warnock said. “You don't get to make a profit.”

Joe Holland, an attorney representing Apartments Downtown, has told The Gazette that rules and fees exist to protect the property and the rights of other tenants. Most landlords have them, and they are not designed to make a profit, Holland wrote in an email.

“Those rules and charges and fees are in writing, and tenants should know those when they sign a lease,” according to Holland.

Greg Bal, supervising attorney for UI Student Legal Services, said he agrees, and his office is educating students about their rights, informing them that they have access to legal services - even if they just want someone to review a lease - and empowering them to take legal action if necessary.

Of the 1,268 students that UI legal services saw last year, 305 needed help with landlord issues, according to Bal. Of that group, 14 made legal claims against their landlords and won, recovering a total of $18,904, Bal said.

“In the last five years, of the ones we've taken to court, we've only lost one to a landlord,” Bal said.

Sophie Borer, a 19-year-old Kirkwood Community College student, lives in an apartment building on South Dodge Street managed by Downtown Apartments is is part of the class-action suit against the company. She claims she was fined $600 after her dad stopped by with a small dog. Because Borer refused to pay the $600, her landlord took the money out of her rent and now is accusing her of being late on the monthly bill, she said.

“It's got to the point where my dad is like, ‘You're not doing this to my kid,'?” Borer said. “I'm taking it to court.”

Holland declined to discuss specific cases.