New Haven Register reports Hamden landlords renting to college students may face higher fees.  Read more by clicking here.

The Planning and Zoning Commission is considering raising fees for homeowners who house students in addition to other potential changes to student housing regulations.

Permit fees could be raised up to $1,000 per dwelling unit from the current price range of $300 to $500. Another proposal submitted was to require new applications anytime the home ownership changes. During the monthly commission meeting, members discussed at length resolving complaints residents had about students living in neighborhoods around town, particularly in the northern part of town.

Curt Leng, chief administrative officer for the Town of Hamden, said according to the state stature the commission has the authority to make changes in regards to student housing. The student housing permit was passed as a regulation.

But homeowner Charles Patridge has faced the difficulty of not making income on an empty home. Patridge said he purchased a home on South New Road in 2008 with the sole purpose of renting to graduate students from Quinnipiac.

Since the end of June, Patridge said, the home was up for sale/rent with the home being unoccupied since February.

“Because we don’t know what’s going on with the moratorium, we’re losing out on not just one year, but two years of rent,” said Patridge, who lives in Burlington. “The (Planning and Zoning Commission) is discriminating against a particular population. There are no options except to sell it or rent to a another group of people. My wife and I have been thinking about retiring and that house was going to be used to buy a newer home. Now, we can’t do that.”