The wrangling continues in Durham over loud students who live in rental housing near Duke. Take a look at what may be coming for landlords, according to the Duke Chronicle (emphasis is mine):
The Loud or Unruly Gatherings Accountability Ordinance was introduced at the April 9 Durham City Council work session by Durham Together for Resilient Youth-a community coalition working to reduce substance and alcohol abuse among young adults.
The primary purpose of the ordinance is to hold landowners accountable for their tenants and decrease the number of loud and unruly gatherings, said Wanda Boone, executive director of Durham Together for Resilient Youth.
“The ordinances that are on the books now talk about loud noises, nuisances, public drunkenness and those kinds of things,” she said. “So there are no fines, there’s no one who’s held accountable, it just says you should not do this. This ordinance adds a piece to what exists already.”
The ordinance proposes that the responsible persons for a reported loud or unruly gathering pay a $250 fine for their first offense, $500 for the second offense and $1,000 for the third and subsequent offenses within 12 months following the first violation.
The money collected from the fines would establish a fund for the prevention of underage drinking. The third offense would also result in a misdemeanor charge for the responsible party.
So if this passes, why would anyone take the risk of renting to a student? Landlords aren’t parents, but this ordinance would put them in that role.
