Syracuse, N.Y. (NCC News) — When now senior Charlie Mitola signed his first off-campus lease, he had just started his sophomore year.
“Housing goes fast here,” he said. “By October, everyone’s already looking. After doing some research, I knew I wanted a house because it was more affordable than the apartment complexes.”
For Mitola, like thousands of other Syracuse University students, moving off-campus isn’t just about freedom, it is usually a necessity. With university housing only guaranteed for two years and meal plans topping $4,000 annually, students are pushed into surrounding neighborhoods, navigating a market shaped by steep prices, tight deadlines, and a handful of influential landlords.
A Market Built on Tradition and Tension
Few people know the Syracuse housing market better than Ben Tupper, a Syracuse alumnus and longtime landlord known by students as the face behind “Rent From Ben.” Tupper’s family has been a part of the university neighborhood for decades, and his business now includes more than 50 rental homes. But his start wasn’t exactly glamorous.
“I was a punk rock high school kid,” Tupper recalled. “The last thing I ever wanted to be was a landlord—the pinnacle of evil in society. My dad built up a few properties, and I swore I’d never follow in his footsteps.”
That changed when he returned to Syracuse in the late 1990s. “I realized I could do this differently,” he said. “There’s a punk rock way to be a landlord—don’t cheat your tenants, don’t nickel-and-dime people, don’t be a jerk. My reputation means as much to me as my profit.”
Over 26 years, Tupper said he has rented to more than 11,000 students without ever taking one to court or filing an eviction. “Never once,” he emphasized. “That’s my proudest stat. I’ve had conflicts, sure, but it all comes down to communication and respect.”
Rising Costs, Shifting Market
Still, even landlords like Tupper admit the market has changed drastically. When his father was buying homes decades ago, he said, they paid about $35,000-$40,000 per bedroom. Now, those same homes go for $80,000 a bedroom and property taxes and insurance are rising too.
“So yeah,” he said, “the prices blow my mind. The city’s jacking up assessments, taxes are up, and everything’s more expensive. That pushes rent up. But compared to other cities, Syracuse rent is still cheap.”
While luxury apartment complexes near campus advertise modern amenities like gyms, rooftop lounges, and study pods at prices starting around $1,500 per person, older houses on Euclid Avenue, Lancaster, and Ackerman still rent for $700-$900 a month per bedroom.
“It’s pretty basic, honestly,” Mitola said of his place. “We don’t have a gym or game room, but my landlord’s responsive, and I’m in a safe area. It works for me.”
The Business of Community
While Tupper runs his company as a full-time operation, he insists it’s about more than the money. “I don’t do credit checks, I don’t make parents co-sign, I don’t raise rents just because I can,” he said. “My goal’s always been to treat tenants like people, not profit centers.”
His “punk rock” philosophy sets him apart from some of his competitors that he calls “nickel and dimers.” “I lose some money here and there,” he said, “but in the end, I save tons on advertising because my tenants spread the word. I spend almost nothing on ads.”
He says that reputation keeps his 50 houses filled, often a year in advance, even as luxury dorms and modern apartment complexes with all the bells and whistles add new competition to the market.
“I’ve never had a vacancy,” he said. “Students still want a porch, a yard, and a house that feels like their own.”
Bigger Than A Lease
For Syracuse University students, moving off-campus is more than a real estate transaction. For many, it’s cultural – a rite of passage. It’s part of the college experience. It’s where roommates become family, budgeting is learned, and the first taste of independence turns into adulthood.
That sense of independence still drives students like Mitola, who grew tired of small spaces, dining hall food, and the restrictions of residence life. “The meal plan was crazy expensive, and the food was terrible,” he said. “Now I can cook what I want.”
Still, the transition comes with tradeoffs. Students face challenges from street parking to maintenance delays to occasional safety concerns in off-campus neighborhoods.
As for Mitola, he says the challenges are worth it. “It’s stressful finding a place and annoying to move my car every other day to the opposite side of the street,” he said. “But I like where I live. The extra space is great and it is a short walk to campus.”
Back on Euclid, Ben Tupper smiles when he hears things like that. “Housing isn’t just about a roof over your head,” he said. “It’s part of the student experience. It’s where people grow up.”