Housing Inspectors Focus on College Apartments

City housing inspectors say they're attacking the problem of unsafe student housing around the city's colleges.

D.C. Consumer and Regulatory Affairs officials say they have checked 29 of 91 targeted houses so far.

Seven citations have been issued.

"We found in some instances the owners did not have basic business licenses, which are required. We did find some housing code violations," says Nick Majett, Deputy Director of D.C. Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

The concern for the safety of college renters comes after the death of a Georgetown student in an apartment fire in 2004.

The apartment in that case did not have adequate fire exits.

People who rent to students are supposed to have licenses, which require inspections of the property.

(Copyright 2006 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)