Some juniors searching for housing at Erwin Apartments on Ninth Street have been frustrated by a few policy changes that have limited their options in order to better accommodate all residents.
Erwin management is not allowing students to choose their own apartments or block with friends, said Anna Acerra, property manager for Erwin.
Noise complaints about undergraduate behavior this year prompted management to try to separate groups into different bays, Acerra said. She added that the decision was made because Erwin also leases to graduate students and Duke employees, not merely undergraduates.
"I can't tell you the number of complaints I have had from people who cannot sleep or have been woken up at 4 or 5 in the morning," Acerra said. "We have a fiscal responsibility to be responsible for all tenants, not just groups.... Everyone pays rent. It needs to be a peaceful, quiet and enjoyable environment."
Junior Maggie Finch, who was part of a group of friends trying to block together in Erwin, said the process of choosing apartments used to be more relaxed.
"I think they were purposely splitting fraternities and groups of friends up," she said, noting that Erwin officials had information about blocking requests.
While students were generally allowed to choose their own apartments in the past, Acerra said Erwin chose to make assignments this year in an attempt to keep seniors from "willing" apartments down, or essentially making agreements with previous tenants in order to inherit a space.
"Where we could, we tried to accommodate, but seniors were putting their names on the list and giving the apartments to juniors," she said.
Erwin management changed hands over the Fall and the employee who handled the list originally is no longer working at Erwin, Acerra said. Students also had complaints about policy changes that have been made since they signed up for the Erwin waitlist in August.
"They skipped a lot of people on the list and called some wrong phone numbers," junior Amy Czaja said.
Czaja added that whoever's name was on the list absolutely had to live in the apartment, unlike in years past, when groups of friends could secure a number of apartments and then divide the residences among themselves as they wished.
Will Duncan, a junior in Wayne Manor, said he and his friends were hoping to get apartments in the same bay for next year. Although Duncan said their situation has turned out favorably, he added that other groups were less satisfied.
"There were stressful moments until we realized the rooms they had assigned us were actually near each other," he said. "Some groups had rooms in different bays.... When it looked like that might happen, we were nervous."
Duncan said he understands why Erwin would try to decrease partying in bays.
"[Removing blocks] would ultimately have to decrease the number of incidences where police are forced to show up," he said. "But it may not decrease individual noise complaints. I guess we'll see."
Although Finch and her friends are not in the same bay, she said they were all able to get apartments in Erwin, which was their main priority.
"I don't think we're too concerned about not being in the same bay," she said. "We're going to talk to our neighbors, and it will be a way to expand our group of friends rather than being in an isolated block."
Duncan also said that despite the initial concerns, he is pleased with the situation for next year.
"It was a little surprising but we turned out fine," he added. "We don't have any hard feelings toward the system."
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