Document text
1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW City moves to acquire 'Acid Rocks' lots ... ODOT to begin paving and cable work on I-5 ... Governor orders flags lowered to half-staff following Sen. Bates' death ... City moves to acquire 'Acid Rocks' lots ... ODOT to begin paving and cable work on I-5 ... Governor orders flags lowered to half-staff following Sen. Bates' death ... OUR VIEW Our View: Blame the market Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jul. 28, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Jul. 28, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News The City Council has done what it can do to help college students find rental housing — and correctly avoided doing too much. But the real problem is not landlords. The council approved the first reading of an ordinance making it illegal to refuse prospective tenants based solely on the source of their income or their age. The ordinance does not mention students specifically, but it means landlords may not disqualify applicants because they are young or because they rely on student loans or scholarships to pay rent. Landlords still have the right to require prospective tenants to submit a rental history and meet income requirements, regardless of the source. Many students don't have a rental history, but that's not the landlord's fault. And let's face facts: College students do not always make the best tenants. Landlords understandably want to avoid renting to any tenants, student or otherwise, who might damage their property, generate noise complaints from neighbors or let their friends move in in violation of lease terms. The ordinance stops short of making students a protected class, which could result in sweeping civil rights lawsuits that would unfairly tilt the balance against landlords. The real cause of the student housing crunch is a vacancy rate of less than 2 percent. When there are almost no rentals available, almost no one can find one, and students find it hard to compete for what is available. The ordinance may help some, but it can't change the reality of the marketplace. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jul. 28, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501