30, 50, 100% : Laura Frost’s Rent Increase Data Keeps Changing

By Kimberly Rau, MassLandlords, Inc.

The following is testimony we submitted after the March 17 state house hearing on the upcoming  rent control ballot question, also known as H.5008, “An Act to protect tenants by limiting rent increases.”

Laura Frost (right), seen with rent control advocate Carolyn Chou of Homes for All Massachusetts, testifies at the state house hearing on March 17. (Image License: public domain)

Rent control opponents and advocates testified before the state house committee at the hearing, including tenant union leader Laura Frost.

Frost, who lives in Arlington, became the head of a tenant organization after development firm Torrington Properties purchased her apartment building in 2019.

“Torrington said they wanted us to stay and initially didn’t pressure us as they started remodeling vacant units. But when they began renting those units for almost double, we knew they had something else in mind,” Frost testified. Her comments begin around 00:32:00 into the hearing.

“Then they demanded huge increases from us,” she continued. “Some up to 100% with no repairs or upgrades at all.”

This seemed like a large jump, especially with no renovations, so we checked into it.

We couldn’t find prior record of Frost reporting 100% rent increases.

A June 2023 article on Boston.com reported that “Laura Frost is part of one-third of the residents in her building facing rent increases between 30% and 50% — increases they cannot afford.”

A March 2024 article from Equitable Arlington states “Equitable Arlington, along with City Life/Vida Urbana and the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, supports the legacy tenants of 840/846 Massachusetts Avenue in their resistance to rent increases of up to 50%.”

The only reference we could find that suggested Torrington raised rents 100% was a March 2024 Boston.com article that stated “The increases were followed by a remodeling project of the complex’s units, according to Frost. She said the remodeled units have been listed for double what they once were[.]”

That’s the only reference to doubled rent that we can find in the media, but it doesn’t back up her claim that tenants still living in the building saw a 100% rent increase. Frost mentioned remodeled units in her testimony, but said those were units that had already been vacated.

We reached out to Torrington properties but did not receive a response in time to file this testimony. We could find no record online, attributed to Frost or anyone else, of 100% rent increases for the Arlington property in question.

Testimony should not be exaggerated to drive a point. Numbers should be backed up with sources. If there is a source that evidences a proposed 100% rent increase for existing tenants with no renovations, we can’t find it.

This is one example of many exaggerations at hearings in general. We encourage the legislature to change the rules to require all testimony be sworn in. If you missed watching the hearing live, you can view a recording of the hearing here.