Student housing rentals

[nccope]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pennsylvania

Hello,

I attend a university in an area where all of the local townships have "student housing ordinances" that basically state that students can only rent houses that have been "student approved" by the township. There are very few of these houses, and they are typically poorly maintained and very small. Its also very difficult to get new houses "student approved". We have a landlord willing to rent us a nice house, but we are afraid of getting evicted by the township since it is not student approved.

My question is simply is it legal for them to discriminate against students like that? Its illegal to discriminate against race,*color,*religion,*nationality,*gender,*disability*and*
family*status, but its fine to discriminate against college students? This makes no sense to me, could someone please enlighten me?

Thanks for your time.

 

[Zigner]

Yes, this is legal.

 

[Silverplum]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pennsylvania

Hello,

I attend a university in an area where all of the local townships have "student housing ordinances" that basically state that students can only rent houses that have been "student approved" by the township. There are very few of these houses, and they are typically poorly maintained and very small. Its also very difficult to get new houses "student approved". We have a landlord willing to rent us a nice house, but we are afraid of getting evicted by the township since it is not student approved.

My question is simply is it legal for them to discriminate against students like that? Its illegal to discriminate against race,*color,*religion,*nationality,*gender,*disability*and*
family*status, but its fine to discriminate against college students? This makes no sense to me, could someone please enlighten me?

Thanks for your time.

Who is "them," and how are they "discriminating" against students?

 

[ecmst12]

Have you actually read the ordinance for the township in question?

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

College students are not a protected class. In fact, they generally have a tendency to break down the family environment of cities. Therefore, cities have taken to creating laws restricting areas where they may live, to protect the infrastructure of the city.

 

[FarmerJ]

You said > There are very few of these houses, and they are typically poorly maintained < so called student housing or not , if you move into a unit that needs legit repairs and send to a LL certified letter asking for them and the repairs are not done with in a reasonable time ( Im not talking about paint or old carpet) then by all means call in city / county inspectors. Your also free to learn the different types of rental licenses LLs may have to hold in your town, like say rooming house lic vs non rooming house, Your city likely has defined the number of people whom can live in one unit and not be related ( rooming house lic VS say reg rental unit lic) ??? how many non related people can live in one rental unit before this so called city ord applies?

 

[latigo]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pennsylvania

Hello,

I attend a university in an area where all of the local townships have "student housing ordinances" that basically state that students can only rent houses that have been "student approved" by the township. There are very few of these houses, and they are typically poorly maintained and very small. Its also very difficult to get new houses "student approved". We have a landlord willing to rent us a nice house, but we are afraid of getting evicted by the township since it is not student approved.

My question is simply is it legal for them to discriminate against students like that? Its illegal to discriminate against race,*color,*religion,*nationality,*gender,*disability*and*
family*status, but its fine to discriminate against college students? This makes no sense to me, could someone please enlighten me?

Thanks for your time.

You have an obvious practical problem. Whether it would have merit or not, it would likely be beyond your financial means to challenge the ordinance as an unconstitional discriminatory practice.

Have you considered getting students organized to boycott the city's retailers?

Have you given thought to talking to a nearby chapter of the ACLU?