In Lower Merion Township, student housing ordinance was amended earlier this year (2008), to in essence accomodate Bryn Mawr College near their campus. I think they were the only municipality to do any updates in 2008.

But as the real estate market and economy worsen, there will be a rise in student rentals, not necessarily because there are so many more students off campus, but because all these real estate gurus need warm rent paying bodies in their properties, and it's no secret that no matter what you might think about students off campus, they DO get gouged in rent..then they stuff multiple people in the units, and well the rest is history.

Coming up at the Zoning Hearing Board meeting on October 16th , a wannabe student rental queen name Phyllis Robinson wants to turn her upscale Haverford Condo on Lancaster Avenue (Haverford Walk) into a student palace. But she is doing this on appeal to the Zoning Hearing Board because her condo dwelling neighbors must have dimed her out and she got caught, right?

Appeal No. 4153

Applicant: Phyllis Robinson
Property: 415 Lancaster Avenue, Unit #10, Haverford, PA 19041
(Election District #4). R 6A Residence District

The applicant seeks a temporary special exception under §155-11 S(5) or alternatively, a temporary variance from §155-11 S(5) to establish a student home for up to three students in this single family dwelling condominium unit to allow student occupancy until May 30, 2009. The applicant also seeks a temporary variance from the following:

§155-95 W to not provide three off-street parking spaces, or alternatively, to allow a visitor parking space to be used as one of three required spaces,
§§155-114 D(1) & D(2) to allow portions of the driveway and parking areas to remain within the required front yard setback and buffer area,
§155-114 D(2) to not provide the required 20' buffer area, and
(if required) §155-11 T & §155-141.3 B to not comply with the separation requirements from other student homes, nonconforming uses or residential uses permitted by special exception under §§155-11 Q, R, & S

In Lower Merion, and I guess for most of these municipalities (Radnor and Haverford too), you can't just as a property owner wake up and decide you want to have a student rental. You have to apply to be one. But because most landlords, and even some parents of college students know there is a big old loophole in most student housing ordinances locally, these student houses appear even if not legal.

Why? Because if a student house is illegal and a municipal zoning officer or rental inspector finds out, the owner of the property who gets caught gets a letter saying in essence "Yo, you there? Boot the students you are not approved for student housing".

But the hole in all student housing ordinances is that if property owners appeal these letters and/or any zoning decisions and/or applies to be a student house, everything stays put until it's all decided. What is that legal term? I think it is that it acts as a stay. So in a nutshell, while it is being decided, which can take months, the student house stays put and the landlord keeps collecting rent.

So basically, most of these landlords use the system to work the system, so why not amend the system one more time? Level the playing field and close the loopholes?

It's not like everyone doesn't know the rules on off campus student housing, right? Just look at what Villanova posts on their own website:

Villanova also lists for students legal student housing on their website, and check out this PDF of names and phone numbers and addresses. It's pretty interesting:

2007-2008 TOWNSHIP STUDENT APPROVED HOUSING
AND CONTACT INFORMATION

So anyway, if students aren't using lists like this wherever it is they go to school, they know they are taking a risk. But the point is this: it's time to close the loopholes in the ordiances. That way the palying field in LEVEL. Level for students, Level for landlords, Level for full time permanent residents.