After several calls and a letter, both the fan and the cupboard remain broken and have never been replaced. In some cases, however, landlords around the University have little choice but to rent their rooms for prices higher than market averages. Property taxes in Stadium Village and Dinkytown are usually above average metro rates because of their proximity to a large university. When property tax rates are re-assessed, they often go up, spurring rent increases throughout nearby neighborhoods. Still, landlords have no one to blame when they do not respond to renter complaints in a timely manner, if at all.
Students often complain of calling numerous times to a landlord without receiving a reply.
Refrigerators and air conditioners sometimes remain broken for days before someone is sent to fix or replace them. But little will improve unless students paying too much for a shabby little house or apartment actively seek solutions. A letter to the editor submitted to the Daily last week recommended that reporters look into an apartment building possibility that was overlooked by University administrators several years ago. A Daily editor suggested we investigate the matter. Besides lawyers and housing authorities, newspapers can help solve housing difficulties by exposing poor living conditions and illegal activities.