By DAVID HERBERT
Local colleges have a message for students looking to cash in on the inauguration housing shortage: not a chance.
Last week, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty relaxed city regulations requiring citizens to obtain business licenses before renting their homes, removing legal hurdles for District residents looking to capitalize on the more than one million revelers expected to flood the city. But Fenty's magnanimity did not clear the way for students to sublet their dorm rooms and, so far, colleges aren't in such a generous mood.
Within walking distance of the White House, George Washington University's student housing is prime real estate for would-be inauguration revelers. Dozens of modest studio apartments in Foggy Bottom are already renting from $500 to more than $1,000 a night on craigslist for the days surrounding Jan. 20.
But GWU is moving quickly to ward off similar gouging in its own dorms. Housing officials e-mailed students a special inauguration guest policy last week, limiting the number of visitors in each dorm that week and creating a first-come, first-served online registration system. Halfway into the notice, red letters in large font announce, "Students are reminded that they are not permitted to sublease or rent their space per the terms of the Undergraduate Housing License Agreement."
The letter also warns that campus police and other hired security may stop guests and ask them for identification.
"Everyone across the university regardless of their role will be on heightened alert," said Tracy Schario, GWU director of media relations.
The situation is much the same at American University. Chris Moody, executive director of housing and dining programs, said he has been in contact with his counterparts at Georgetown and GWU to prepare for the looming crush of paid and unpaid visitors to campus dorms. All three schools have vigorous entry policies for on-campus residences, and students that sublet their rooms face sanctions, up to and including expulsion from housing.
So far, those warnings haven't trickled down to student entrepreneurs. Alex, an American University freshman who asked to remain unnamed for fear of punishment from the school, is already testing the waters on craigslist. He and his roommate have posted their room for prices ranging from $300 to $600 to determine what price the market will bear.
Alex said plenty of other freshmen had already closed deals to sublet their rooms, and he added that the school hasn't made any announcements yet. And what about tight security at the dorms?
"It's very lenient," he said.
Not all students are clamoring to recoup room and board costs on the backs of out-of-towners: The American University campus newspaper came out against student subletters Monday, calling the scheme an "absolutely terrible idea" and declaring that "it is not all right to endanger your fellow students to make a few bucks."
Like college students, run-of-the-mill renters looking to sublet didn't catch a break with Fenty's new rules. But they may have an easier time bending them. At the swanky 2400 M apartment complex in Foggy Bottom, subletting is forbidden, explained property manager Doug Crawford. But, he admitted, if residents sublet their units anyway, "I don't know what we'll do about that."
Jim McGrath, chairman of the nonprofit Tenant's Advocacy Coalition, which champions tenant issues like rent control, predicts the tidal wave of subletters will be too great to contain.
"The reality is that many tenants are going to do this," he said, "and most will get away with it with no trouble whatsoever."
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