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Letter from the Executive Director for May 2022: Interviews, The State Seal and Coat of Arms

First Published April 27th, 2022 | Updated May 1st, 2023 Posted in News - 0 Comments

Our Letter from the Executive Director for May 2022 recaps April’s housing journalism and education, new educational events, and tough buyer’s market.

A Landlord’s Guide to Record Keeping and Handling Tenant Information

First Published April 26th, 2022 | Updated May 1st, 2023 Posted in News - 2 Comments

a cartoon of a businessman sitting behind a desk piled high with files and papers. His hands are in the air, and papers are flying around. Meanwhile, a robber with a bag labeled “data” sneaks away.

How to understand Massachusetts laws surrounding personal information, and how to keep tenant records securely

Gentle Density Increases Nearby Property Values, Evidence Shows, Contrary to Popular Belief

First Published April 20th, 2022 | Updated May 1st, 2023 Posted in News - 0 Comments

A photo of a city street active with pedestrians and a mix of retail stores, restaurants, multi-families and mid-rise apartment buildings.

Against persistent and widespread belief that housing density harms property values, numerous studies show the opposite effect.

Boston Stalls on Rent Stabilization Advisory Committee (RSAC) Public Records Request

First Published April 15th, 2022 | Updated July 15th, 2024 Posted in News - 1 Comment

An iPad sits on a table showing a page from the City of Boston website. The page title is “Members of Rent Stabilization Advisory Committee Announced.” The date is March 11, 2022. Derivative of image licensed by Unsplash.

MassLandlords filed a public records request March 28, 2022, to demonstrate how the Rent Stabilization Advisory Committee (RSAC) was formed. The request was neither extended nor fulfilled.

A Landlord’s Guide to Rental Management and Hiring a Property Manager

First Published April 8th, 2022 | Updated April 13th, 2023 Posted in News - 3 Comments

A family consisting of a husband, wife and young son, along with their dog, stand on a sidewalk next to a multi-story residential building which is cut off at the edge of the image. A cityscape with construction is in the background. A red sign in front of the building reads “For Rent, Bay State Management Co., 508-555-5555.”

How to research, vet and hire a rental manager or property management company

Rent Payments: Review of All Rental Software to Collect Rent Online

First Published April 6th, 2022 | Updated April 10th, 2024 Posted in News - 1 Comment

A hand reaches toward a laptop screen and out pops money. Licensed 123rf.

This guide reviews all rent payment and rental software available to collect rent online. Over 40 automatic rent systems reviewed and updated regularly.

Landlording by the Numbers April 2022

First Published April 4th, 2022 | Updated May 2nd, 2022 Posted in News - 0 Comments

Infographic: Landlording By the Numbers. What’s up, what’s down? What’s in, what’s out? This monthly feature is a brief statistical snapshot of the landlording and housing industries. 30 days. Required for serving a Notice to Quit for nonpayment in Massachusetts. This required period was raised from 14 days in 2020 as part of the economic response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The 30-day requirement remains in effect. $2,381. The difference in average apartment rents between Boston and Springfield, Mass. (reported by rentcafe, August 2021). 3rd highest. The rank of Massachusetts in terms of rent prices, among 56 U.S. states and territories. 19%. Percentage increase in average rents in Massachusetts year-over-year in October 2021. (Apartmentguide.com)

Letter from the Executive Director for April 2022: Technical Improvements, Lawsuit Waiting

First Published April 3rd, 2022 | Updated April 6th, 2022 Posted in News - 0 Comments

Our Letter from the Executive Director for April 2022 discusses the various technical improvements and new events and articles we’ve produced. Our lawsuit is still waiting for a hearing.

Retrospective: How $1 Trillion Renovation Created Gentle Density Utopia in Bay State

Posted on April 1st, 2022 Posted in humor, policy - 2 Comments

a sketchbook lies folded open with a pencil on top. A pencil list that reads “Meeting notes: Gentle Density, Creative Zoning, ADUs, Green Space, Transit Options, Monorail, Public Outreach, Plunger Rocket!” occupies most of the page. In the lower right corner, a sketched rocket ship that looks like a toilet plunger blasts off, with fire coming from under the plunger dome. License: Cc by SA 4.0_MassLandlords Inc

April Fool’s Day 2022 gives us a full year to study the April 1, 2021, grant, when world governments stopped subsidizing fossil fuels. Massachusetts was selected as one of the first six jurisdictions for renovation.

Year 2021 Summary Process Filings Remain Below Pre-Pandemic Baseline

First Published March 24th, 2022 | Updated June 4th, 2024 Posted in News - 0 Comments

picture of a graph with blue lines marking summary process filings graph points from November 2020 to January 2022, set against two orange lines framing the range of expected filings based on 2019 statistics.

A 2021 snapshot of MassLandlords’ data reports shows summary process court filings continued at lower-than-expected levels.