A clash is brewing over homeownership and rentals for students near Towson University.

A Baltimore County councilman wants to find a way to limit rentals and has a bill to establish a pilot program.

Councilman Mike Ertel, D-District 6, said it isn’t a bill against students, it’s about setting limits and maintaining quality of life.

There’s a townhome for sale in Towson Manor Village. Neighbors wonder if a first-time homebuyer or an investor will purchase it.

“We are seeing a really big uptick in investors who are buying homes in neighborhoods near Towson,” Ertel said.

Investors are pricing out couples looking for their first affordable home and turning the houses into rental properties for students, Ertel said.

“They can get a three- to four-bedroom house for $350,000, and pile five

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