Blog - Archived - Page 34 of 112

Local Control of Housing Policy: A Bad Idea. An Open Letter to the Joint Committee on Housing

First Published February 20th, 2022 | Updated April 14th, 2023 Posted in News - 1 Comment

Graph from Loikkanen (1985, Academy of Finland) showing a landlord's optimal acceptance policy with three switch points.

"Why do you care and what is it your business what Michelle Wu does to provide affordable housing in Boston?" is the question of the day from Jim Braude, Boston Public Radio.

Renters Insurance: Can Landlords Legally Require it? What About Pet Insurance?

First Published February 17th, 2022 | Updated April 20th, 2023 Posted in News - 1 Comment

Renters insurance is a good idea for both tenants and landlords, but requiring tenants to buy insurance may not be legally advisable.

Letter from the Executive Director for February 2022: Fie on Housing Partisanship

First Published January 28th, 2022 | Updated April 14th, 2023 Posted in News - 1 Comment

Our Letter from the Executive Director for February 2022 focuses on rent control, right of first refusal, and the proposed Worcester eviction moratorium.

What to Do If a Tenant Dies in Your Rental, or Plans To

First Published January 18th, 2022 | Updated June 25th, 2024 Posted in News - 1 Comment

A corner of an empty apartment living room in late afternoon with sun coming in. The lower part of two photo frames on a beige wall are visible. An empty brown armchair sits in the corner. There is a brown coffee table and wood side table with a 1960s-style telephone sitting on top of it.

At some point as a landlord, you may have a renter die during their tenancy. Here’s how to handle it if someone passes away in your apartment.

MassLandlords Testimony in Opposition to An Act Enabling Local Options for Tenant Protections 192 H.1378 S.886

First Published January 14th, 2022 | Updated June 4th, 2024 Posted in News - 2 Comments

A google maps view of Petrillo Square. A three decker with apparently six units (two vertical stacks of bay windows letting in warm sun) face the marker put in place to honor Peter Petrillo. The street address is Magazine and Chestnut, Cambridge, MA.

This is an excerpt of 19 pages of testimony opposed to rent control submitted during the January 11, 2022 hearing. This excerpt focuses on 192 H.1378 S.886.

Landlords Association Files Court Suit Against DHCD to Enforce Public Records Request

First Published January 14th, 2022 | Updated July 15th, 2024 Posted in News - 3 Comments

MassLandlords, Inc., has filed a petition in the Superior Court of Suffolk County

Letter from the Executive Director for January 2022: Goals for 2022

Posted on December 30th, 2021 Posted in News - 0 Comments

Our Letter from the Executive Director for January 2022 discusses our election results, the lawsuit we filed, and our goals for 2022.

MassLandlords Annual Election Results 2021: Sullivan

Posted on December 30th, 2021 Posted in News - 0 Comments

A box and whisker plot showing election results for the 2021 election on a scale of 0 to 5 for Allyson Gray, Sanjiv Reejhsinghani, and Patrick Sullivan. Allyson Gray did well and shows a concentrated band of support. Sanjiv Reejhsinghani and Patrick Sullivan showed higher overall support and nearly identical ranges of scores, wider than Allyson's range of scores.

The 2021 election results include Patrick Sullivan on the Board of Directors. This article covers who won the 2021 election, who ran, and how you can get involved for next time.

How to Properly Consider Applicants with Permanent Rental Assistance Using an Applicant Qualifier

First Published December 24th, 2021 | Updated April 13th, 2023 Posted in News - 5 Comments

Cutout of a MassLandlords Applicant Qualifier form showing the section on ability to pay, highlighting 20 points awarded.

How to screen applicants receiving Section 8, MRVP or other rental assistance carefully and thoroughly for your best interest.

How to Avoid Housing Discrimination Based on Age

First Published December 16th, 2021 | Updated April 13th, 2023 Posted in News - 0 Comments

A pencil drawing of an optical illusion sits in an ornate-looking frame. The drawing is of a woman in a fur coat, and looks like a young woman in her 20s or an elderly lady depending on how you view it. In a speech bubble, the woman states, “It doesn’t matter how old I am.”

Discriminating against renters because landlords feel they are too young or too old can put housing providers in violation of the Fair Housing Act.