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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

environmental health, safety risks, off-campus student tenant housing, rental properties

College

Humanities

Department

Health Science

Abstract

The multi-unit rental dwelling typically presents a variety of health and safety concerns that may result in illness and/or injury. Although any dwelling is susceptible to such problems, rental properties are at a greater risk, typically through lack of routine maintenance and repair on the part of landlords. The student population at Brigham Young University (BYU) is particularly disempowered when it comes to safe housing options. This is due to several factors including a rule instituted by the university that all students living off-campus must live in housing that has been approved by the BYU Office of Off-campus Housing. The effect of this rule is that landlords whose rental units are approved are almost guaranteed to have tenants due to limited number of approved housing units compared to students. Unfortunately, the approval process does not include measures for environmental health and safety but rather focuses on assuring that the rental unit provides the student with a closet, dresser, and other necessary furniture and appliances in the home. Landlords, therefore, do not have a monetary incentive for spending money on fixing certain aspects of their housing units since approval can be gained without the additional cost of care, and tenants are practically guaranteed.

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