Clark - Do/Did you actually follow the u+2 code? when i lived there our landlord did not, we had a 4 bed house near drake/shields and had all 4 bedrooms full. There were only two of us on the lease but we sent the LL 4 checks every month. I got the sense that it was not closely followed, but also don't know anything about enforcement efforts.
How did u+2 depress rent for your house? Did it keep rent closer to that of a 3 bed?
The house is 2200 sq. ft. with an oversized 2-car garage (550 sq. ft.) and a double lot (12,300 sq. ft.). When I convert the bonus room to a 5th bedroom by adding a $500 closet, my market rent is going to immediately increase from $2700 to $3000. For the students, their housing cost is going to go down significantly because it will be split 5 ways, instead of 3 ways. The rental house is also within 100 yards of the bus line.
Water and Electricity averages $150/month. Gas averages $100/month and internet is $50/month. Going from 3 people to 5 people will increase the water and electricity bill by $50.
When split 3 ways, it's $1000 per person. When split 5 ways, it's $670 per person, even with the rent going up from $2700/month to $3000/month. The landlord gets a 10% increase in rent, consistent with market demand and the students get a 30% reduction in their housing costs. It's a win-win. The "U + 2" local ordinance is just stupid.
If houses make too much noise, they should get a noise violation and fine them. You shouldn't assume that more people automatically assumes more noise. When I lived at the house, I had 3 roommates (4 total). We were very quiet grad students that spend 10-12 hours on campus. I met one of my neighbors after he moved in after about 2-3 months. He told me he thought my house was vacant because he never saw anyone coming or going from the house.
The "u + 2" also unfairly criminalizes people for being poor. One of the easiest ways to lower your cost of living is to have roommates. Taking that option away from people and making it illegal is just an horrible way to treat people from a public policy perspective.
