An ongoing dispute between members of Alpha Phi Delta and a landlord at Penn State University (PSU) seems to have taken another turn after police had to be called, according to WTAJ. State College police officers arrived to discover a group of Alpha Phi Delta fraternity brothers sitting outside their home on Wednesday when the landlord refused to let everyone in.
This comes hot on the heels of an injunction granted by a judge, which required the house to be open and ready for occupants by 5 p.m. on Aug. 26, 2026. Instead, they discovered that only some of their rooms had been unlocked, and not everyone was able to enter.
Now, angry college students and their parents are left scrambling to find additional housing for those whose rooms were locked. The last-minute scramble came right as classes were starting for the school year, likely amping up the stress levels for everyone involved.
So, why are the PSU students being barred from entry? According to the landlord, they failed to uphold the terms of their rental agreement when it comes to required occupancy quotas.
Alpha Phi Delta Has to Provide 55 Occupants to Rent the Space
A lease dispute caused the property management company Greek Housing Services to lock fraternity members out of their house on move-in day. The issue stemmed from the frat’s inability to rent out all 55 rooms this school year, falling five rooms short of their goal.
Centre Daily News reports that the students took the matter to court, and Centre County Judge Brian Marshall ruled in favor of Alpha Phi Delta, requiring Greek Housing Services to open the property in time for the students to move in for the year. The judge required the fraternity to come up with a $100 bond prior to the opening of the frat house, which was in addition to the $100,000 security deposit provided in 2021 with the master lease.
The judge also ruled that the residents would need to pony up an extra $6,000 a month to cover the five vacancies in the contract.
But instead, the fraternity arrived to find some of the building still closed, prompting a call to police. WTAJ spoke with a parent who was at the house on Wednesday when some of the rooms remained closed, and they shared that the sheriff’s office would need to get involved to enforce the court injunction.
Some Are Calling for Better Regulation for Landlords
The vice president of public relations for the national branch of Alpha Phi Delta says this issue really highlights the bigger housing issues hitting the students at PSU. “We think this particular instance should serve as a red flag for local lawmakers, perhaps state lawmakers, and regulatory bodies to study this situation and perhaps look for ways to avoid this kind of situation that puts students at risk,” Joe Bell told WTAJ.
According to PSU’s Student Affairs website, there are 70 different fraternity and sorority chapters at the college, with membership reaching into the thousands. It’s understandable to see why Bell is calling for more stringent support and resources for the students involved in these groups, especially when something as vital as housing can suddenly disappear just as the school year begins.