Amherst recently started enforcing a town bylaw that may leave many University of Massachusetts students scratching their heads come time to sign leases for off-campus housing.

The zoning bylaw restricts the occupancy of a dwelling unit to four unrelated residents, but real estate websites featuring units throughout Amherst advertise four- and five-bedroom homes to student audiences, listing their proximity to the University.

Students and officials from both the town and University said that landlords’ awareness of the bylaw is a problem, especially as students start searching for housing next semester.

UMass senior English major Andre Dumas signed a lease last year with her four roommates on a five-bedroom home on E. Pleasant Street completely unaware of the town’s bylaw until an Amherst police officer came to her home early this year to notify them that neighbors were complaining about the number of cars in her driveway. In March, her neighbor Kerry Strayer provided the town’s select board with photographs of the driveway, suggesting to authorities that Dumas and her roommates were violating the zoning bylaws.

Upon inspection, the group of girls had to drop one from their number. Roommate Kylee Youmans volunteered to move in with friends in Colonial Village as she planned to move there for graduate school when the lease was done, according to Dumas. She added that if it were a house filled with seniors who were not returning, the girls would have nowhere to go.

Stephanie J. O’Keeffe, a member of the Amherst Select Board, said the town’s awareness of these violations is dependent upon complaints from residents and that all town bylaws are subject to enforcement at any time. She added that awareness of the violations is especially piqued in a situation in which there are a relatively high number of automobiles parked consistently outside of a residence.

Upon hearing of the eviction from The Collegian, Student Government Association Commuter Senator Derek Khanna said in a statement, ‘Many students are signing leases in the coming months, and we need this bylaw overturned or at least not enforced. This bylaw has been on the books for years without enforcement, the arbitrary enforcement of this bylaw this year and specifically upon UMass students seems like a targeted campaign. The enforcement of this bylaw will unfairly hurt UMass commuter students who often have no legal vote in the matter.’

Khanna added that he is meeting with O’Keeffe to discuss the matter next week and plans to speak at the next select board meeting. For now, he called for the forming of an emergency SGA committee on the issue.

O’Keeffe acknowledged that informing both landlords and students about the bylaw has been problematic.

‘It’s a big issue, and it will come up, especially as this gets more attention,’ she said. O’Keeffe added these are frequent and unfortunate issues common to college towns. She said the town will look to balance the quality of life for both student residents and nonstudent residents.

Town Manager Laurence Shaffer said awareness of the zoning bylaws should be a shared burden of tenants, landlords and the town. He added that the issue comes down to public health and aesthetics. Shaffer said crammed quarters often create nontraditional bedroom situations that can become dangerous in emergency situations. A high population of student cars, he said, creates an aesthetic issue in lots that cannot support them.

‘We’ll ask students and landlords to comply with the law because it makes sense to do so,’ Shaffer said.

Meanwhile, Dumas said, ‘If it’s a major bylaw, people should know about it. It’s crazy and too bad.’

William McGuinness can be reached at [email protected].