The construction of the Southwest Quadrangle residence hall, set to open in August 2003, has reduced the number of students living off-campus next year, causing concern among local landlords who have yet to rent off-campus properties that are normally full by April.

Some students formerly without on-campus housing were recently added to double-occupancy rooms in the Southwest Quad, increasing the number of beds in the hall from 780 to 900.

Despite student concerns about not receiving on-campus housing during the housing lottery, more off-campus spaces are available this year than in any previous year because of the new Southwest Quadrangle project.

Several landlords at an open house for off-campus housing in the Leavey Program Room on Friday said that finding renters has proven much more difficult than in past years.

“Everyone assumed that students would still come [off-campus], but that’s not been the case this year,” Lee Garbick, a Potomac, Md., landlord who rents-out several Georgetown properties, said.

The low demand for off-campus housing has forced some landlords to lower prices.

“Normally my landlord has his house sublet by now. He’s lowered his prices significantly, from $3,350 down to $2,950, and the house has had some major renovations.” Mike cCormick (COL ’03), who represented his landlord Paul Dwyer at the housing fair, said. “Last year he’d rented the home by November, and it’s already mid-April.”

Georgetown and Burleith landlords agreed that finding renters has been difficult, and the lack of students off-campus has been surprising.

“Although this is my first year trying to rent out a house, there is generally the consensus that landlords would try to rent at this time in any year prior to this one,” Kerry Fortune, a Burleith resident and prospective landlord, said. “Most of us can’t believe it’s already April and we haven’t rented out our residences.”

Despite some reduced prices in the immediate area, many students have looked beyond the Georgetown area for less expensive housing options, including Rosslyn and surrounding parts of Virginia.

“We’re almost 100 percent rented, which is pretty good for this time of the year,” Hashmat Ali, a representative from the McLean, Va.-based American Properties System which rents apartments and townhouses in Rosslyn, said. “The Georgetown student community comprises about half of our renters, and we are glad to have them.”

Shanaz Asasi, another landlord from Virginia, agreed. “I’ve never had any problem. And this year, we’ve had many offers,” he said.

Finding off-campus housing may be especially difficult for students who plan to go abroad because many landlords are reluctant to sign a short-term lease.

“It’d be nice if you had a list of students going abroad in the fall and a list going in the spring because most of us do not rent for the fall knowing that there will be no one there in the spring. There is no way of getting a match on our end, and that would make it a lot easier,” Garbick said. “Today’s fair, however, is a very good idea.”

Garbick commended Kathy Hess, coordinator for Off Campus Housing Referral Services, who planned the housing fair.

“I’ve never had a situation where a student couldn’t find a house,” Hess said. “Some students are frustrated and some have waited longer to get started in the search. There are 780 beds open off-campus more than there were last year.”

Hess said that 10 to 50 properties are added to the off-campus housing database every week.

“The landlords tell me that students are not contacting them,” Hess said. “I’m not a real estate agent, and students are going to have to do some of the work, but there’s definitely stuff out there.”

Concerns about off-campus housing arose after over 200 juniors and seniors in the apartment lottery did not receive housing, forcing them to look off-campus. The Department of Housing Services had originally told students there would be no need to find off-campus housing in an e-mail.

In order to create more on-campus housing spaces, 122 double occupancy rooms in the Southwest Quadrangle have been converted into triples.

Two weeks ago, GUSA passed a resolution unanimously calling for a housing rebate equal to one-third of the room fee in the Southwest Quadrangle. The price has been set at $2,990, which is 8.5 percent of the cost of a double.

“Students living in triples in the Southwest Quad will receive the same rate as students living in triples in LXR [$2,990 per semester],” Shirley Menendez, director for Housing Services, said.

“This rate is less than the rate for a double; however, it is not considered a rebate.”

The average LXR triple, at 234 square feet, is smaller than the average Southwest Quad triple.

Student Association assembly memberperson Octavio Gonzalez (COL ’06) submitted the GUSA resolution on behalf of Eamonn Carr (COL ’06), who has campaigned for a larger fee deduction.

“This rebate, which is less than it really should be, falls short of the principle of fairness,” Carr said. “[The Housing Department] may argue that our request for a rebate equivalent to one-third the housing rate may be rather steep. However, Boston College deals with the situation this way, and an offer of 8.5 percent is ridiculous.”

The event was sponsored by Off Campus Housing Referral Services.