That is especially true of many Syracuse University students, who are willing to sacrifice quality housing for a shorter walk to class.

"The door downstairs fell off the hinges and was just hanging there," said one student, reciting a list of complaints about her off-campus home. "There's a hole in one of the windows in the basement, so there's a cat living in the attic."

While the majority of off-campus houses appear to be in good condition, some properties are visibly in disrepair. But, since students are still willing to rent them based on proximity, the owners do not always feel a sense of urgency to make repairs.

"I can't stress enough to the students that they should look at the property in major detail before renting," said Darya Rotblat, Assistant Director of the Office of Orientation and Off-Campus housing at Syracuse University. "Rushing into something is not the way to go. (You have to) do your research and be an educated consumer."

The Syracuse Codes Enforcement Department acknowledges some of the properties have not been inspected in years, largely because there had been no city ordinance requiring it. However, the City enacted a new rental registry last month requiring the owners of non-owner occupied one and two-family homes to schedule an inspection.

Officals hope that will force landlords to bring their rental properties up to code.