By Kylie Strehl

The Province has been considered U of L-affiliated housing for as long as I can remember.

According to the university website, “off-campus affiliated housing” refers to properties that have a “contractual relationship” to U of L and University Housing, but are not residence halls managed by the university. What this contract actually means for students, however, is unclear.

When I decided to move into The Province during my junior year, this was not something on my mind. I liked that it was within walking distance of U of L’s Belknap Campus, came pre-furnished, had a lease term that aligned nicely with the academic year, and that it was cheaper to live in than a residence hall.

These are the same reasons why I decided to renew my lease for a third year. Renewing my lease locked in a monthly rent for 2026-2027 that I knew I could afford, allowing me to continue living in the same unit. Simply put, living at The Province was convenient and a better bang for your buck than living in a residence hall.

That all changed, however, when I received an email on Jan. 8 informing me that the lease renewal I had signed to secure my housing for next year was voided. Apparently, The Province was becoming a residence hall.

The email stated that if I wanted to stay, I needed to apply through U of L’s Housing Portal and pay the “rate set by the University.” Immediately, I went to the Housing Portal for more information, only to find nothing.

Despite only being given until Jan. 30 to decide whether I wanted to pay residence hall prices, updated rates were not included in the email.

When the rates were finally released later in the week, I realized my rent would increase by $168 a month, which is $2,016 over the course of a year. The Province suggested that this cost increase would magically save residents money, stating, “Please note that while university rates may appear slightly higher at first glance, they are an all-inclusive rate.”

My rent at The Province currently includes trash, internet, water and a $30 utilities allowance. If that allowance is exceeded, I am charged the excess. This means I usually pay a couple extra bucks a month for utilities, more so during harsher weather. Rates provided through University Housing, on the other hand, are a flat rate, never changing in response to the usage habits of a resident.

I emailed U of L Housing with my concerns and was told that students will “benefit financially” from the severe cost increase.

Both The Province and U of L seem to think not paying a couple extra bucks a month for electricity justifies a $2,016 yearly increase. Notably, they also fail to account for the $100 cost to apply through the Housing Portal and required meal plan.

I’m not a math major, but I fail to see how paying $168 more a month saves me money compared to paying maybe $15 to cover utility usage outside of my allowance.

Because I can’t afford to pay an extra $2,016 a year to live at The Province, I followed the instructions laid out in the original email and requested lease termination paperwork from Greystar, The Province’s property management company. Reading over the document, one section immediately stuck out to me:

An excerpt from lease termination paperwork sent by Greystar Real Estate Partners to Kylie Strehl. (Courtesy / Kylie Strehl)

This clause would prohibit any resident from ever speaking or writing anything negative about Greystar or their experience at The Province. Not only was I being priced out of my housing, but I was being commanded to shut up about it.

Considering Greystar’s horrible reputation both in and outside of Louisville, such a clause did not surprise me. You might recognize the company from a recent WDRB article detailing their severe mismanagement of Trifecta Apartments.

Last summer, residents came forward to describe their experiences living in the roach-infested complex. Multiple residents even went without functioning AC units during the hottest months of the summer.

Greystar has also faced legal troubles at the state and federal level, coming under scrutiny from both the Kentucky Attorney General and the Department of Justice for unfair rent practices.

I refuse to sign a contract that would limit my ability to talk about my terrible experience with Greystar. When I emailed explicitly asking if I needed to sign this document to terminate my lease, my question was never directly answered.

Instead, I was told that it would assist the property in its transition to a residence hall and that the document would act as a receipt of the lease termination.

I believe Greystar is trying to deceive residents into signing an unnecessary document so that they will be legally prohibited from speaking about their experience with the company. My lease was voided when its terms were changed without my approval, and I don’t need to sign anything further to confirm that.

It is clear that this decision to transform The Province into a residence hall was rushed and poorly thought out, made worse by the fact that Greystar is a dangerous combination of predatory and incompetent. As U of L continues to scramble to address its lack of adequate housing, I can only imagine that more and more students like myself will get caught in the crossfire.

Kylie Strehl is a senior at the University of Louisville majoring in Political Science and English.

Photo by Sara Montoya-Obando / The Louisville Cardinal