Virtual college campus causing concerns for California landlords

By CHRISTINE HAINES
chaines@yourmvi.com

With California University of Pennsylvania opting to go fully virtual for the fall semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many student apartments are sitting vacant, even if they are rented.
University spokeswoman Christine Kindl said the decision to go completely online for the fall semester was a matter of safety for the students, staff and community. At this point, enrollment numbers for the fall semester are still unclear.
“We are still enrolling students and students are still making decisions on where they will spend their fall semester. We have rolling admissions,” Kindl said.
While some students may have decided to withdraw for a semester when the college went virtual, others are transferring in from universities that didn’t offer virtual, real-time options. Kindl said Cal U’s plan is to offer regular classes on a regular schedule, but via computer instead of in person, so students are meeting in real time with their professors and classmates.
“We made that decision after seeing what happened in other communities when students returned in large numbers, not only on campus, but in the community. President (Geraldine) Jones wanted to offer a bit of certainty in an uncertain world. Our students knew from the time we made that announcement what the rest of the semester would look like,” Kindl said.
According to the borough’s zoning code enforcement officer Mike Garlowich, there are approximately 385 rental properties in the borough with one to four units each, not including the dormitories owned by the university.
Garlowich said he is still in the process of doing inspections. While some properties are still vacant, students are moving back into others.
“There are students staying. Some just want to get away from their parents. A lot of the landlords wouldn’t let them out of their leases, though some did,” Garlowich said.
Garlowich said so far, the reduced rentals haven’t impacted the borough because inspections still need to be done and rental licenses must still be maintained, even if a unit is vacant.
Vito Dentino, who owns or manages 173 of the rental units in the borough which represents about 400 students in two and three bedroom apartments, said landlords, especially those in a college town, are in the same situation as restaurant and bar owners.
“All our expenses stay the same, but we aren’t getting the rent. We had a lot of kids who were still coming and then (the university) went to all online,” Dentino said. “The gym’s closed; the library’s closed. A lot of the apartments are two and three bedrooms and I only have one person there and they are paying less rent.”
Dentino said some students have negotiated lower rents, which he and his clients are glad to have if it means someone will be staying in the unit to prevent vandalism and potential winter problems with burst pipes and other issues.
Dentino said it costs him more than $100 a month per apartment when minimum utilities and various fees are added up. For apartments located in zoning districts where they are a nonconforming use, even if the apartment is vacant, the permit fees must be paid or the future use as a student rental could be lost, Dentino said
“That’s always in play here,” Dentino said. “There’s no help from the borough.”
Walter MacFann, rental manager for Tri-County Realty, said his company manages or is partial owner of about 200 rental units, which are mostly two and three bedroom apartments. Nearly all of the units are rented for the fall semester because of how and when Tri-County does its leases.
“We have three vacant units at this time of the inventory that we have. We did some major move-ins at the first of the month. Some were excited to come back even though there wasn’t any school. A couple families were trying to find ways out of their leases, but that’s not the nature of a lease,” MacFann said. “We do have some termination provisions, but they are still responsible if we can’t get it rented.”

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