As the time approaches to renew leases for the coming school year, students have to realize that more than just personal preference is a factor in deciding where to live.
Home sweet home is also determined by city zoning ordinance.
The ordinance reads that "the neighborhood conservation district is intended to preserve the character of existing neighborhoods and developments under construction."
According to the ordinance, in areas zoned for single families, no more than two unrelated people can live in the same home.
"The major areas where we have problems are close to campus, right where the zones change," said Katie Robison, zoning enforcement officer.
One area is along College Street, near the Davis Arboretum just south of campus. Robison said most cities have similar ordinances, some of which are much more stringent than Auburn's.
"A few northern university towns, if you have a rental property, you have to register that property and who's living there with the city," Robison said. "We don't go through all that process."
One problem caused by too many unrelated people living in a single-family area is having too many cars parked at one house.
Another common problem is excessive noise.
"Those are the ones that tend to probably be the most problematic," said Mayor Bill Ham. "There's certainly nothing wrong with students that are off at college playing music and having a good time, but it may contradict with exactly the way the rest of the neighborhood ... lives their lives."
Robison said the number of violations has decreased in the past few years.
Ham said while he used to receive complaint calls about possible violations on a weekly basis, he now rarely does, which he attributes to strict enforcement of the law.
"All cases have to go to court if it turns out that there's a violation, and all of the residents that are in the home are required to come to court," Robison said. "That's time away from work or class."
People who suspect a violation must fill out a complaint form, and then Robison monitors the home in question for 10 days.
If Robison believes there is a violation, "then I file for a search warrant with the judge ... then I go out with the police officer and actually enter the property and see who's living there," Robinson said.
Ham said the primary need for such an ordinance stems mainly from the difference in the lifestyles between students and non-students.
"Students' lifestyles (vary) from those in typical single family neighborhoods as far as the hours that they come and go and hours of the students' activities," Ham said.
To avoid the hassle of possibly having to switch dwellings because of a violation against the ordinance, Robison suggested double-checking the zoning laws of a potential home before officially signing a lease.
"I would say that most of the homeowners that rent know the regulations," Robinson said. "We try to put things out there and take a proactive approach.
"Of course, the realtors all know the area where single family houses are, and if they know that something is zoned single family ... they are required to tell (clients)."
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