If the ban on Castle Court parties is expected to work, Campus Hill management should enforce real consequences for those who break the rules. And in turn, tenants should accept that there is nothing they can do to change the decision.

On Aug. 19, an email sent from Campus Hill management to Castle Court residents said that large parties would no longer be allowed in the Castle parking lot. Residents and students of Syracuse University were angry about the decision and have hinted that the parties would continue despite the ban. Students also expressed that the decision was directly related to Syracuse’s recent ranking as the No. 1 party school.

SU reached out to Campus Hill management in 2013 — well before the party school ranking was determined — with a number of different safety concerns, including students hanging off balconies, setting fires in the parking lot, disrupting traffic and leaving glass and debris in the parking lot. The company agreed with the university’s complaints and decided to end the large-scale parties.

Because Castle Court is a central place for SU parties, Campus Hill will need to strictly enforce their new policy if they want any of their residents to follow the rules. According to the SU administration, the university is working with Castle Court management and the City of Syracuse Police Department and will communicate directly with Castle Court’s residents this week. The Syracuse Common Council is also currently looking into the “social host law” — an ordinance that holds the owner of the property responsible for issues such as underage drinking — as a way to control out-of-control parties, providing additional incentive for Campus Hill to shut down the parties. Residents of Castle Court, however, have no incentive to stop partying unless there are tangible consequences.

The tenants will accomplish nothing by going against their landlords by continuing to party, as it mostly likely won’t make Campus Hill and the university rescind their decision.

Castle Court residents are bound by a lease and have to follow the rules set by their landlords. But it’s up to Campus Hill Management and SU to set boundaries in order to make sure the new ban is properly enforced.