Living in West Campus, affectionately called Wampus, can really suck sometimes. But if we organize with groups like the University Tenants’ Union, we can push back against landlords’ predatory practices.
One needs only to look at the Yelp reviews for American Campus Communities, Greystar and LV Collective –– some of the biggest rental companies –– to see how bad things can be. It is no wonder over 24 rental companies doled out trendy merchandise on Speedway this year to improve their image and seduce possible tenants.
To their unsuspecting future rentees, life in Wampus looks glamorous. Rooftop pools, indoor basketball courts and sky-high study lounges beckon to freshmen seeking to escape communal living. However, once they click “I agree” on their lease, the trouble begins.
The first shock is usually being asked to pay a full August’s rent while only being allowed to move in at the end of the month. While this practice is shady and upsetting, it’s not technically illegal. However, there are plenty of other things landlords do in Wampus that are problematic.
As anybody experiencing problems with their rental housing can tell you, it’s hard. Sophia Sumerford, a biochemistry freshman, struggled to even get a hold of management after trash bags started piling up and her fridge broke.
“I had to call them five separate times before they would come and replace it, and then (it would break again),” Sumerford said. “I called them one time, and they didn’t even send anyone. I even went down to the leasing office to say, ‘Hey, I need this fixed.’ They said they would send out an electrician, and I asked if they could send that information to me. They never did.”
When asked if the quality of service was worth the price she was paying, she said, “Hell no.”
Sumerford is one of many students who have experienced concerns about their housing, such as black mold, waste disposal and air conditioning. This isn’t just cherry-picking a few bad examples. In the last six months alone, there have already been 325 code violations in Wampus, according to the City of Austin. These conditions seem especially unjust when you remember most of us are paying well above Austin’s average rent to live in the area. This makes students wonder what can be done about their sometimes substandard living conditions.
This wonder is how the University Tenants’ Union started. According to Union co-founder Namratha Thrikutan, an architecture junior, the group started when they simply asked each other why windowless apartments were legal. This question and the Union’s advocacy efforts eventually led to the banning of these dungeon-esq units citywide after months of advocacy from the Union. This victory showed students can have a meaningful impact on Austin tenants’ rights.
“(UTU) has been able to provide students with resources about their tenant’s rights, ways to approach their landlords and UT legal services,” Thrikutan said.
This includes Summerford’s trash trouble, which is grounds for a code complaint with the City of Austin.
While situations like this feel hopeless, there are resources the Union offers. Thrikutan said that students looking to get more involved in the group should attend their town halls.
For those experiencing housing difficulties, Thrikutan said the University Tenants’ Union is “working on a website (that would be) like a toolkit and would consolidate all this (tenants rights) information.”
It is important for us, the vulnerable UT students, to fight back against unfair and unsafe practices while holding our community to a higher standard. We can join groups like the Union, show up at city council and keep reporting code violations.
Oppenheimer is an economics sophomore from Flower Mound, Texas.
