Living Off Campus - Common Pitfalls

Lease Contracts: Not reading or understanding your lease contract before you sign it can create numerous problems during your lease term.

Zoning: Most students living in a single family home are residing in property zoned R-1. In Lubbock, no more than two (2) unrelated people may live together in these properties. It does not matter if the property is rented or owned by the student or the student's family. The City of Lubbock can start an investigation based on neighbor complaints. These complaints are usually based on parties, noise, trash, illegal parking, and damage to their property. Violators are subject to a misdemeanor conviction and a fine up to $2,000 per day.

Public Nuisance: A public nuisance is broadly defined to include noise violations and the storage of junk or trash anywhere on the property.

Illegal Parking: Parking on an unpaved surface exposes tenants or their guests to an immediate citation. Tenants and their guests should only park in their own driveway and not in the yard. Do not block your neighbor's driveway. Parking a "junked vehicle" on your property: A "junked vehicle" has an expired or removed inspection sticker or registration, or is wrecked, dismantled, inoperative or abandoned, or has not moved for more than 30 days.

Yard Maintenance: The property owners or the property's tenants are responsible for keeping the lawn mowed and the weeds below 8" tall. Review the lease to identify the responsible party. Maintain the area from the front property line to the middle of the alley, including the area by the dumpster. Keep this area free of furniture, appliances, tree limbs, building materials, and other bulky items.

Violating the Lubbock Code of Ordinances can result in a citation and/or a monetary fine. For more specific details please visit the City of Lubbock Code enforcement website at http://codes.ci.lubbock.tx.us/default.aspx.

DISCLAIMER:
Information on this webpage is provided for general informational purposes and does NOT constitute legal advice. Students should seek verification and clarification of all statements made on this webpage through the Student Legal Services office. Slight variations in facts and circumstances may make an enormous difference in the legal advice that a particular attorney will render. Students who are confronted with legal problems or who desire specific advice should make an appointment with an attorney at Student Legal Services or seek the assistance of another licensed attorney.

By maintaining this webpage, Texas Tech University Student Legal Services is not forming any attorney-client relationships. All information contained on this webpage pertains to Texas law, and should not be relied upon as law in any other state. We cannot guarantee that the information on this site is up to date and accurate, as the laws affecting Texans are in constant transition.

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