Skip to main content

Cornell University

Safe Living Environments

Cornell has partnered with the Building Division of the City of Ithaca to create an online system that displays the relative safety information of City rental properties, including: fire safety, notifications systems, emergency egresses, construction type and property use. 

Safety Program 

This online safety tool draws from data collected by the Building Division through inspections of rental properties and recognizes landlords and properties that have met the necessary requirements to provide a safer residential environment. It also provides our students and their parents an opportunity to make more informed decisions in choosing safe living environments. 

The following building and Certificate of Compliance related elements have been identified as critical items for use in determining a safety score: 

  • Fire Protection (sprinkler systems) 

  • Fire Extinguishers 

  • Notification Systems (alarm systems including smoke and carbon monoxide detectors) 

  • Construction Type 

  • Applicable Code 

  • Property Use 

Data is updated daily to provide accurate descriptions of the safety of each property listed in the online tool. Cornell and the City are working together to include additional safety elements including fire separations and emergency egress. Properties outside of the city limits are currently exempt. 

Below is additional information regarding codes, standards and compliance information to help you make informed decisions when selecting off-campus housing: