Letter from the Executive Director for March 2016

This month's update is about a new member service and three public policy situations.

We're now offering a bookkeeping service to members. MassLandlords is in many ways a bookkeeping story. By tying together some of the various clubs and local not-for-profits, we've learned to get good at low-cost bookkeeping.

Our service costs $16/hr, no minimums, no commitments. Here's how it works:

• You use online accounting software like Xero, QuickBooks, Buildium, or WaveApps.
• You send us your receipts.
• We'll categorize them, reconcile your books, and make sure the reports are ready when you want them.

We'll free you to do what only you can: manage your business, communicate with your tenants, buy more properties, etc.

If you're interested, pay a refundable $16 place-saver at MassLandlords.net /bookkeeping. This will hold your place in line. We'll get in touch and discuss details and whether we can take on your business. If together we decide it's not a good fit, your $16 payment is fully refundable.

Our strategy is to offer high-quality, low-cost services like bookkeeping to grow our revenue.

Here are three policy examples of why we need to be bigger.

1.) By the time you read this, the Senate Special Commission on Housing will have announced their recommendations. Based on the draft we've seen, we may have to disown them, including the part about Insurance Against Homelessness. Yes, this was our idea, in name. No, the draft was not what Seattle does, nor what we asked for. Our edits were rejected. Why were our good ideas distorted into uselessness? Altogether now: "Politics."

2.) On Monday, March 14, the City of Boston will hear about "Just Cause Eviction," a proposal from the Boston Tenant Coalition and City Life/La Vida Urbana. These groups claim to be advocating for tenants, but they are better described as anti-free market. I sat next to the Boston Tenant Coalition on the Senate Commission. I am embarrassed to report to you that they did not think enough of me to invite us to participate in their reform effort. City Council has scheduled a hearing of their one-sided solution and our partner group, SPOA, is gearing up to fight it.

3.) In February Chief Justice Ralph Gants wrote a glowing opinion piece for the Boston Globe about Housing Court and how expansion to the rest of the state was necessary. Most landlords disagree that Housing Court is wonderful. We know it shines a spotlight on our badly one-sided laws. Our half of the public conversation is entirely missing.

These issues and many others are beyond MassLandlords ability to deal with today. But I believe right always beats might in the long term. We can be confident that over time, as we grow, we'll garner the resources to better our Commonwealth's laws. In the meantime, we will do what we can on the Senate Commission and elsewhere to hold ground.

Please sign up for the bookkeeping service if you are at all interested.

Sincerely,
Doug Quattrochi
Executive Director
C: 617-285-7255