The problem of Towson University students throwing wild and disruptive parties in rental houses in the residential neighborhoods around campus is an old one. Community members have gone to great lengths over the years to deal with problem tenants, from tracking the license plate numbers of cars parked outside of houses to calling the cops. The county has enacted a rental registration program, and the university has changed its policies to hold students accountable for their behavior off-campus. But given the nature of college students — and the glaring mismatch between Towson’s enrollment (22,000) and the number of beds in dorms (6,000) — the neighboring communities can’t possibly have enough tools at their disposal to address the problem. As such, County Councilman David Marks’ proposal for what’s known as “social host” legislation is most welcome and deserves to be enacted.
