exemption of college housing from Landlord tenant law in Pennsylvania

[HRZ]

Pennsylvania.

Is anyone aware of PA law or Pa case law at high enough court level to matter which excludes housing for students or staff owned or operated by a college as exempt from the provisions and protections of Landlord tenant laws in PA?

Caution..the more modern use of the term " dormitory " includes very traditional apartment style dwelling units with sanitary and cooking facilities in each residential unit .

THanks

 

[FlyingRon]

Not that I am aware of. In fact, a dorm would fit the PA definition of a "tenement."

Can't find anything in PA case law. Most of the cases involve search issues in college dormitory and the last one covers the liability from a frat party gone too far.

 

[adjusterjack]

Pennsylvania.

Is anyone aware of PA law or Pa case law at high enough court level to matter which excludes housing for students or staff owned or operated by a college as exempt from the provisions and protections of Landlord tenant laws in PA?

Having read the PA statute many time, I can't imagine that dorm rentals would be exempt.

There can, of course, be provisions in a dorm rental contract that limits a tenant's recourse as long as those provisions are not prohibited by statute or appear unconscionable under contract law.

Why do you ask?

Is something specific happening to somebody?

 

[xylene]

1. Your question is a research project and not a legal situation

2. Is this happening at a public or private college? I strongly suspect it matters to additional details.

Tenant protections often don't apply to people living in dorms in many ways. For example vacating the room at end of semester and over semester break, etc.

And no, a "dorm" - aka college / university housing - does not have to be 2 relative strangers forced to live in a small room. It can include apartment style housing for singles and families. I'm not sue why cooking and sanitary facilities would give some extra rights.

 

[Zigner]

1. Your question is a research project and not a legal situation

I suspect that the senior member who asked the question actually has a situation that he needs an answer for.

 

[HRZ]

thanks for helping me double check my thinking.

No, not a hypothetical, faced with local institutional sprawl and more darn close to my front doorstep.

 

[Taxing Matters]

thanks for helping me double check my thinking.

No, not a hypothetical, faced with local institutional sprawl and more darn close to my front doorstep.

You asked the same question some time ago in another forum and the answer there was the same. Any reason you had for thinking anything had changed?

 

[adjusterjack]

No, not a hypothetical, faced with local institutional sprawl and more darn close to my front doorstep.

What on earth does institutional sprawl getting close to your doorstep have to do with landlord tenant relationships in student housing?

Again, is there something specific happening to you?

 

[quincy]

thanks for helping me double check my thinking.

No, not a hypothetical, faced with local institutional sprawl and more darn close to my front doorstep.

Look at zoning laws.

 

[FarmerJ]

you wrote > or staff owned< if you were referring to rental units owned by someone other than the actual school or government then I doubt there would be any exemptions from state law, the housing would be under the same laws as a corporate owner or investment group or the couple who own one apartment building or one or two single family homes.