Photos by Justin Cook | The Roanoke Times

Radford University senior LaFayette Green points to his uneven door frame that was "fixed" with scrap wood at his rental house in Radford. "I wouldn't even be complaining, but it's just simple stuff," LaFayette says about asking the landlord for repairs.

Dead termites litter a floor in house rented by Radford University students. A city pilot rental inspection program would require landlords to keep their units from becoming "unfit for human habitation" or face sanctions.

RADFORD -- College student abodes are known for their less-than-clean character. It's traditionally part of the charm, but Radford University student Kori Miller isn't pleased with the termites, broken windows, flooded floors and rodents he's seen this year.

Miller and his four housemates say they've contacted their landlord -- Bondurant Realty -- several times for repairs. Despite numerous maintenance visits to the nearly 100-year-old home and a scheduled roof replacement this summer, some of the problems, including a busted front-door screen, persist.

"It's not like we weren't trying to fix things," said company president Bill Bondurant. "We've been trying all year long."

The company rents more than 300 units in Radford, and about 240 of those are to students, who often complain loudly. Some repairs are more stubborn to fix, and Miller's house on Third Avenue is no exception, Bondurant said. The Radford University students say their landlord's attempts at maintenance weren't enough and some of them want portions of their rent returned. They plan to move in June.

"I wouldn't even be complaining, but it's just simple stuff," said LaFayette Green, a housemate from Arlington.

The Radford City Council wants to quell some of the concerns about health and safety before they start. The city has instituted a pilot rental inspection program that would require landlords to keep their units from becoming "unfit for human habitation" or face sanctions. Those with no violations could earn rewards, said Councilman Bruce Brown.

Without a program, the city has no other recourse for tenants except small claims court.

"We're trying not to make it a burden on the property owner until information comes out to say, 'Hey, you need to get this fixed,' " Brown said.

He has been a proponent of the rental inspection program, largely because of the housing complaints the city receives from university students and their families.

Under the pilot, which was started in January, 260 units on Clement Street on the east of the university, Fairfax Street on the university's west side and P.T. Travis Avenue on the city's west side can be inspected.

As of April 23, 21 of those had been checked, said city spokeswoman Becky Hawkes.

The city's building officials and code enforcement officers are doing all the current inspections, but if the program takes off, the fire department is likely to take over control.

During the pilot, landlords won't see any repercussions for the safety problems at their properties. According to the draft ordinance, drawn heavily from a similar program in Blacksburg, an inspector must make more than one visit before levying a fine. And even that is up for debate. Some Radford council members said they might prefer the inspector make three visits before charging.

"We trying not to be punitive," Brown said. "As an industry, it would be nice if they policed themselves."

The inspection program's future is unclear. As it stands, no one knows exactly how the inspector's role would be filled. In the 2008-09 budget talks, council added about $64,000 for a person who would serve as both a firefighter and an inspector.

The outcome of the pilot is slated for further discussion at a council work session May 12. Ultimately, the program's future depends on the number of violations reported. A reported is expected soon, Brown said.

Final plans for the inspection program won't be made until next fiscal year, which begins July 1.

"It's not trying to baby-sit the landlords, but they are just looking to make sure they can make both sides as happy as possible," Hawkes said.

That won't help Miller and Green, but Bondurant said once the details are settled, he sees it as a plus for business.

"It's a pretty good program," Bondurant said. "It's just a huge, huge undertaking."