Student-created website will help off-campus living

A student-created website that aims to increase information about off-campus housing will fill a necessary void in the Syracuse housing market for students.

The website, rentcuse.com, is in its beta phase. It can be successful and useful for students by working similarly to RateMyProfessors.com. Students can log in through their Facebook accounts to leave testimonials about places where they have lived. There is also the option to include the amount of rent per month for a house. The site creators plan on uploading information about houses and the landlords who own them.

This will be a valuable resource for students who are looking for off-campus housing, many for the first time. If students see a house that has bad ratings or noted problems from former tenants, they can bring those problems up with the landlord so they can be fixed. If students have more information about their options, they can make better choices.

Student testimonials can provide a much deeper analysis than the landlord can give. The students live in their homes for an entire year and can discuss what the atmosphere is like after dark, when landlords are not around.

These students also have no vested interest in lying in their testimonials because they are not trying to run a business, like landlords are. They can be open and honest about both the good and the bad.

Having this website may increase accountability for landlords as well. If landlords see students are often complaining about their houses, it may affect business. In turn, landlords may be more likely to fix some of the problems students mention on the website, which will improve housing options for students.

Though the website should not be the only resource students use when they research for off-campus housing, more information will always lead to better decisions.