For some reason, there's a log of predatory landlords going on in and around universities. Something about the melting pot of higher-density areas, where tens of thousands of desperate students are vying for limited accommodation.
The entire system further holds student tenants hostage based on the fact that they need references from previous landlords to get accommodation for the upcoming year. The problem is that, as a young student, you're very limited in your options for previous references. Every landlord in the area knows this and knows that likely the only references students will have will be from other shady university housing landlords—and the only way students will have a reference from them is if they shut their mouths and allow themselves to be pushed around. So, basically, a reference on your application is just a signal that you're capable of and willing to be pushed around and have your entire deposit pocketed by the landlord of the place you're applying to.
Three out of the four years I lived at university, we had our deposits kept for no reason, despite not having large gatherings and generally taking good care of the dilapidated housing for which we were paying top dollar. There was the house that flooded, the house that was never cleaned before we moved in, and the apartment manager who lied and tried to keep our deposit with nothing to back up their claims. We might as well have just partied and trashed houses anyway since we were never getting deposits back, but for some reason, that thought never occurred. To be fair, I'm not sure renting has gotten much better since then, but it's not really like it could have gotten much worse.
The story shared here is an internet classic, but I felt it would be topical and a good time to rediscover it and discuss the topics it addresses since university students all over the country are probably currently considering their next accommodation in preparation for Autumn courses. This student turned the tables on their landlord by being generally just on top of things and being willing to fight for what was right and just.
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