Tenant Reviewal of Landlord

David Adewumi
Devin Weakland
daa182@psu.edu. March 23, 2010.(814)769-3900

Proposal for
Tenant Review Landlord (TRL)
I. SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................ 3

II. NEEDS/PROBLEMS .......................................................................................................................... 3

III. GOALS/ OBJECTIVES...................................................................................................................... 4

IV. Citations.....................................................................................................................................5
I. Summary
Off-campus housing in the State College area has become an unchecked market; an
opportunity for realtors to operate with little student oversight and transparency.

II. Needs/Problems
They enjoy the affects of a large student population creating a Paternoville-type line in
the fall semester. These are big decisions for underclassmen. Often times these are first-
semester freshman who’ve been in school for less than two months. The TRL will bring
accountability to off campus living options by creating a website to serve as a
comprehensive resource for local students. Realtors have benefited from the demand
shock off campus living most recently in 2006. That year over 8,000 students were
admitted to University Park. Rental rates increase year-over-year with no explanation.
There is typically no flexibility in the terms. Students are forced to accept the terms as is or
risk being passed over to the next student in line willing to accept the terms.

III. Goals/ Objectives

The TRL proposes to construct a website that serves as a comprehensive source
for students to research off-campus living arrangements.

• Lease 101

• Students targeted barely into collegiate career

• Basics of lease agreements, terms, binding obligations, maintenance

clauses, subletting policies

• First point of contact for students through advertising

• Forum-Database

• Personal anecdotes supplemented with ratings system

• $/SF, roommates/room, maintenance, security, utilities, internet,

total rent, length of lease, fees

• Compile database of all rental rates for each apartment building

for past 10 years on 1 page in order to identify actions of realtors (history of
rate increase, etc.)

• Rank apartment buildings by preferences (3 versus 4 roommates,

utilities, internet, total rent price, etc.)

• Website Construction

• $40,000 start-up costs (website construction and advertising)