Pennsylvania has seen an uptick of rental scams in recent years alongside Temple gaining a significant increase in international student enrollments with the Class of 2028 – a population vulnerable to these scams. 

Temple hosts a total undergraduate and graduate student population of nearly 2,000 international students from more than 100 countries. The Class of 2028 introduced the largest diverse student enrollment to date, with international student enrollment up by 65% over the last two years, The Temple News reported. 

International students can be more susceptible to situations of landlord neglect, precarious living situations and higher rent, making more awareness of these issues necessary.

A Crisis in Housing

Most Temple students live in zip codes 19122 and 19121, and Philadelphia has some of the oldest housing in the U.S. Half of the city’s housing is more than 90 years old, according to a December 2020 report by Temple University Beasley School of Law and the Tenant Union Representative Network, a tenant rights organization that offers services for those struggling with unethical landlord treatment and unsafe housing conditions located in Center City.  

Each year, more than 300 properties in Philadelphia are cited as “unfit for human habitation,” lacking proper plumbing, running water, electricity and heat, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. 

Due to maintenance problems, some international and local students have to live in substandard living conditions. 

From mold-infested apartments to unchecked pest infestations, some students said that their experiences in off-campus housing conditions have impacted their health and academic ability, The Temple News reported.

Tsedey Tsegaye, a masters student from Ethiopia, attended a weekend bootcamp course during the Fall 2024 semester. On the second day, the program’s director, Clemencia Rodriguez, provided a lunch with home-cooked food for students and professors – which Tsegaye ultimately missed, having fallen ill during the workshop.

She was later told that her illness was linked to the poor housing conditions in her North Philly apartment by an environmental scientist from Ethiopia. The illness forced her to miss several days of class while in the hospital, increasing her stress as she struggled to catch up and acclimate to the U.S. Her condition improved after she left the apartment, she said.

“They don’t have security, they don’t have someone to do the maintenance,” Tsegaye said. “So every time I face some challenges, I don’t have anyone to talk to. I was all alone in there, and someone tried to break into times in the night. As an international student who don’t know anything about [the U.S.,] it’s really very hard for me.”

Karina McKenna, a Fox School of Business alumna and domestic student, and Zoë Hagley, her roommate and a Ph.D. candidate student from Grenada, said they faced similar substandard housing problems to Tsegaye.

McKenna remembered returning to the apartment after a hard day, hoping to just eat and sit down. 

“I open my bedroom door, and I look on my bed, and it’s covered in bugs, particularly wings,” McKenna said. “Same with the windowsill, same with the floor, covered. Zoë and I put together that they’re termites. She’s seen them in the wild.”

Tsegaye, Hagley and McKenna’s experiences reflect a larger issue faced by students who are trying to navigate renting at Temple, revealing widespread problems with substandard housing, landlord neglect, administrative barriers and financial exploitation, particularly in North Philadelphia. 

The Exploitation of Vulnerability

Individuals who rent out their properties have the ability to exploit students unfamiliar with U.S. housing norms. Many international students need to secure housing before their arrival, so if they don’t want to choose on-campus housing they have to rely on online tours – and can potentially fall victim to social media scams.

On average, U.S. international students paid 20% higher rents than domestic students, according to a February 2024 report published by Amber, an organization that helps international students acclimate to their new cities.

“For international students in particular, reach out to students in your program before arriving and ask for accommodation recommendations,” Hagley said. “Some students may even have extra rooms available. Don’t search blindly, as some landlords prey on the lack of knowledge.” 

Not everyone is aware of the risks of substandard housing. Tsegaye assumed that housing in the U.S. is suitable like in Ethiopia and that her house would be clean and ready upon her arrival.

“You have to apply for a tour, an online tour,” Tsegaye said. “I didn’t know about reviews, I never rent[ed] an apartment In Ethiopia, we just go there and look at the apartment, the facility, everything. So, we rent a house like that. I didn’t [look at] the reviews.” 

All landlords have different approaches toward how to make their property look the best, even if the conditions are not suitable. Online rental scams persist largely on social media platforms. Tsegaye found most Facebook listings suspicious, as they were asking for money beforehand.

In many cases, the individuals attempting to rent out properties aren’t legally permitted to do so, meaning they never obtained a valid rental license. Between January 2016 and May 2017, the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News reviewed 507 properties that were labeled “unfit for human habitation” and discovered that 293 properties didn’t have a rental license. 

Property owners who rent more than four residential units must provide all tenants with a Certificate of Rent Suitability, issued by the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections, at least 60 days before move-in.

To be a landlord in Philadelphia, an individual must have a renting license, according to Philadelphia Code Title 9. 

Because students are often desperate to secure housing in a small timeline, they may sign leases without verifying its legality or fully understanding what they are agreeing to.  

McKenna was afraid of becoming homeless when she realized she wouldn’t be able to move into her apartment for a month. After asking the landlord to move in early and simply pay more in rent, McKenna was set up in another apartment nearby.

“Two days before I was supposed to move in, across the hall, he said, ‘Oh, we signed a lease,’” McKenna said. “He said, ‘You can’t move in.’ And I’m like, this was two days before I’m supposed to move, what are you talking about? His solution was trying to put me in a different unit that apparently was broken into, vandalized and had flies.”

While desperate and losing time, McKenna and Hagley unknowingly signed a lease that was legally invalid.

“Our lease is also only one page long,” McKenna said. “We found out after we’ve been trying to break it that the lease has no termination clause. The lease is a page and one quarter long, and just like slapped together.”

On top of their landlord not living in Pennsylvania, TURN later found that they also didn’t have a rental license, making communication with them difficult for McKenna and Hagley.

“It was a nightmare to get any repairs done or to get his attention to the many issues in the apartment,” Hagley said. “Eventually, my housemate and I dealt with severe leaking, leading to flooding, mold and mice. I was forced to move up abruptly because of the issues. The landlord refused to accept any responsibility and withheld my deposit for months until I filed a lawsuit.” 

For Hagley and McKenna’s survival and success in getting out of their situation, they looked to advocacy groups like TURN to assist them in learning their rights as tenants.

How Can Students Be Cautious?

Renting in North Philadelphia shouldn’t come at the cost of students’ health and dignity, but these students’ hardships can be learned from.

Research: Look into what North Philly is like — demographically and by word of mouth. Policy Map is a great way to start to understand North Philly as a demographic as well as talking to other current students in one’s program before choosing housing. Also, get to know who is renting the property.

Reputable sources: “A major step is simply looking for options on trusted websites such as Zillow and apartments.com,” Hagley said. “Ask around as well – it’s always a good step to seek referrals from trusted members of your social group. Once you’ve identified a suitable option, arrange a viewing and ask the leasing agent/landlord as many questions as possible. Always ask about additional fees such as payment for water.” 

It’s very important to avoid falling into potential scams by taking the time to review the landlord’s legal documents.

“If an apartment seems too good to be true, it probably is,” Hagley said. “Don’t pay a deposit without seeing at least a draft lease and ask to see the rental license before signing.”

Temple Resources: 

International Student Association, International Student and Scholar Services and Temple’s Off-Campus Housing are resources for international students to find off-campus housing and other resources. However, some students said these resources didn’t assist them well in securing suitable off-campus housing. 

The Office of Research and Graduate Studies reached out to Tsegaye and sent a list of apartments, but none of them worked within her $700 budget.

“The list of apartments she sent was, very expensive – the minimum is $1500,” Tsegaye said. 

Beware of Rental Scams: 

On June 8, 2023, Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry published a press release warning residents of the prevalence of scammers who are targeting individuals.

Scammer tactics include posting fake advertisements and altering existing, legitimate ads to steal personal information and get rent and security deposit payments. This could be damaging for international students who trust the U.S. rental process and provide personal information to the wrong people during an application process. 

Learn how to Know the Advocacy Groups and Know Your Rights in The Temple News’ upcoming Part 2 of the Know Before You Rent series.