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University-Area Landlord Admits Past Mistakes Led to Conditions That Prompted Tenant Protests

Scott Willis
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WAER-FM 88.3

A Syracuse University neighborhood landlord who’s been the target of tenant protests for unsafe living conditions and poor maintenance says he’s turned his operation around.  WAER's Scott Willis reports on how pressuring a landlord might get results, but also poses an inherent risk. 

I recently joined Ravi Saluja for a tour of some of his properties. 

"We're at 303 Lexington Avenue..."  

He’s the President of Syracuse Quality Living, or SQL.

"Tenants have moved in, and are very happy.  No issues in any apartment. Everything is good, right?" he asked the tenant.

"Yes, I'm totally satisfied," said the tenant.

Credit Scott Willis / WAER-FM 88.3
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WAER-FM 88.3
The living room at the Ashworth house. Saluja says the apartments come fully furnished. Some even come with TV's, space and layout permitting.

We visited more than a half dozen of his properties, and all of them appeared to be in good condition.  Tenants said they were happy.  Saluja owns more than 50 homes on the outskirts of the university neighborhood, renting to mainly graduate, Phd, and international students.  But about two years ago, some of those students began publicly complaining about rodent and insect infestations, structural problems, sewage backups, lack of heat, and other serious habitability issues that weren’t being addressed.  Saluja admits they fell behind on maintenance, and that tenant pressure forced change.

Whenever something comes about, you realize what went wrong and you accept your mistakes and then you correct it. That’s what as a businessman I did, and that did lead to making a lot of changes.”

That includes a texting system for maintenance requests.    

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WAER-FM 88.3
One of the bedrooms.

"We get it directly; the maintenance team gets it. I get a copy, it gets locked into our maintenance logbook.  The maintenance staff comes in every morning, they pick up whatever issues came in the night before and within 24 to 48 hours all issues are addressed.”

There’s also a 24 hour emergency response service for more urgent issues. 

SQL Leasing director Stefanie Haines Brown says the system is far better than tracking phone calls and emails, which lacked efficiency and accountability.

A maintenance slip would be sent to one of the crew on the maintenance team and then that was it. There was no follow up. So we just assumed that everything was taken care of when in fact it wasn’t.  Then we would get a notification from a student six weeks later that it wasn’t done and we were in shock.”

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WAER-FM 88.3
The living room at a newer renovation on Allen St.

Now, she says there are more checks and balances, along with a professional maintenance team.  Saluja typically buys up distressed properties, slowly renovates them, and rents them at a lower price point as an alternative to the new, higher priced large student housing complexes.

"We are growing very slowly, organically, we are not over expanding because now is not the market. There are all these new buildings, there is competition.  We are in no expansion mode, we want to control what we have, manage what we have and improve our existing properties.”

Saluja says property upgrades combined with better service seem to be paying off.  Renewal rates are up 33 percent from last year, which he says translates to happier tenants and less turnover. 

Credit Scott Willis / WAER-FM 88.3
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WAER-FM 88.3
Allen St. kitchen.

Former SQL tenants say they’re pleased to hear Saluja acknowledge his mistakes.  Organizer Michael Kelly with Syracuse Tenants United credits the students for bringing about the improvements…if there are any.

"We remain skeptical of any kind of massive turn around. We have conducted some outreach at properties and spoken with tenants, some of whom are still afraid to come forward.  Last I checked, there are still 18 open code violations, one of which goes back to March of this year, so I think there are still issues with the properties.”

SU grad student Benesimone Simmons first moved to Syracuse in the summer of 2016.  She says she signed an on-line lease for an SQL apartment sight unseen based on the company’s website and positive online reviews.  Simmons got out of her lease the following March due to uninhabitable conditions.  She knows of a tenant who rented with the company during and after the tenants organized, and hears there are still problems.

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"This particular tenant continues to still experience maintenance issues with SQL, management issues with SQL, so I don’t think it’s fair to say that all tenants are safe.”

But publicly calling out a landlord isn’t for everyone, and carries an inherent risk.   After all, they’re living in a property owned by the person they’re protesting.  Simmons was, and still is, uncomfortable with speaking out.  But the problem goes beyond student tenants who might risk losing their apartment and struggle to find another one.  Fellow former SQL tenant Susima Weerakoon says there’s more at stake for some renters.

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WAER-FM 88.3
303 Lexington Ave was the source of numerous tenant complaints in the past. Saluja says problems have been addressed.

"We would canvass an apartment home where there would be families and young children running around and one of the first comments that the parents would say is 'I have kids I can’t be out on the street protesting' or 'I don’t want to go up against the landlord, I am thinking about my family.'”

The group has organized with other tenants in the city renting from different landlords…from large companies to someone renting out a room in their house. 

"It’s important for them to know that they don’t deserve to live in terrible conditions,” Simmons said.

Scott Willis covers politics, local government, transportation, and arts and culture for WAER. He came to Syracuse from Detroit in 2001, where he began his career in radio as an intern and freelance reporter. Scott is honored and privileged to bring the day’s news and in-depth feature reporting to WAER’s dedicated and generous listeners. You can find him on twitter @swillisWAER and email him at srwillis@syr.edu.