Landlord Information Sharing Program
Program Description
The program is designed to provide students with a method for communicating with each other from year to year about their rental housing challenges and successes. The goals of the Landlord Information Sharing Program are:
- To provide students with a constructive format to raise concerns about the quality of their off-campus housing in a manner that will lead to issue resolution;
- To provide a neutral context in which landlords can respond to and address students' concerns;
- To provide a record of concerns raised and the manner in which concerns were addressed; and
- To reduce the number of student concerns that ultimately go unknown, unresolved or escalate beyond the point that an amicable resolution is possible.
In our experience, conflicts between students and their landlords often occur due to a breakdown in communication. We hope this program can promote more effective, constructive communication between students and their landlords.
Process
Any Syracuse University or ESF student can fill out
a Comment Form found here or in our office at 754 Ostrom Avenue. Students
must clearly explain their concerns or issues on the form provided or
by attaching a separate typed letter. They must use facts to describe
the situation that is the basis for their documentation; they cannot simply
provide an opinion of their landlord with no supporting factual basis.
OOCP staff would also like to hear about positive interactions students
have with their landlords. If students have positive experiences they
would like us or other students to know about, they should send us a letter
clearly explaining the interaction, using facts to describe the situation;
they should not simply provide an opinion of their landlord with no supporting
factual basis.
Instructions
1. Complete the attached Comment Form. Please be sure to include current contact information for both yourself and your landlord. Incomplete documentation will not be accepted.
2. Clearly explain your concerns or issues in the form provided or by attaching a separate typed letter. Use facts to describe the situation that is the basis for your documentation—do not simply provide an opinion of your landlord with no supporting factual basis.
3. Write clearly, using complete sentences. Use professional language to describe your situation.
4. Return your form to 754 Ostrom Avenue, Syracuse, New York, 13244 or email it to oocp@syr.edu.
5. OOCP staff would also like to hear about any positive interactions that you might have with your landlord. If you have a positive experience that you would like us or other students to know about, please send us a letter including current contact information for both yourself and your landlord. Clearly explain the interaction, using facts to describe the situation—do not simply provide an opinion of your landlord with no supporting factual basis. OOCP staff will keep a copy of your letter in our office at 754 Ostrom Avenue. Your name, contact information, and any other identifying information will be redacted from the letter.
What happens once you file a Comment Form?
- OOCP staff will review your completed Comment Form. If it includes unprofessional language or is not appropriate to share with other students, it will be returned to you with a letter explaining why.
- OOCP staff will forward a copy of your Comment Form to your landlord. Your landlord may respond to your concerns or issues directly or may respond by sending a letter to the OOCP. If the OOCP receives a response, a copy will be mailed to you.
- OOCP staff will keep a copy of your Comment Form and your landlord’s response in our office at 754 Ostrom Avenue. Your name, contact information, and any other identifying information will be redacted from the Comment Form and response.
- Your Comment Form will be saved in a file under your landlord’s name. Other SU/SUNY ESF students will be able to view your Comment Form and your landlord’s response when they are searching for off-campus housing.
- The purpose of this program is to provide students with a method for communicating with each other from year to year about their rental housing challenges and successes. We encourage students viewing the landlord files to consider not only the number and type of concerns or issues raised, but the landlords’ responses to them. Please note that the views expressed in these materials are solely those of students and local property owners and not those of Syracuse University.
- Sometimes your landlord may not respond to your concerns or issues, or may respond unfavorably. OOCP staff will work with you throughout the process to seek to accomplish a resolution to your problem. When appropriate, OOCP staff will refer you to agencies that are better able to assist you, such as the Syracuse Police Department, City of Syracuse Division of Code Enforcement, Conflict Mediation Center, Student Legal Services, etc.
Response to Comment Form - For Landlords (Coming Soon)