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Apartment-cramming landlords, one student sue Boston
By adamg on Tue, 04/15/2008 - 8:56am
Over the new five-students-and-you're-out-law:
In their suit, the landlords admit to renting out homes or units to anywhere from five to eight students at a time. But they point out that the student renters have more square feet of living space than is required under state health codes.
Note: The Herald doesn't say where that one student goes to school, but for what it's worth, Facebook says she's an Eagle.
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Comments
oh lordy.
What if the suit had been filed by absentee landlords? Would they be able to phone in their testimony from Florida or Maryland or wherever the hell they run off to? Would they be able to ignore certain questions if they felt like it? So much of this amuses me and makes me snark-headed. Fun quotes such as this:
"The plaintiffs would not be prohibited from leasing the same properties to five or more age-contemporary Starbucks baristas, only undergraduate students," according to the suit filed in Massachusetts Land Court.
Well, here's a piece of advice: rent to baristas. Look at that, fellows, instant niche market! Craigslist will eat it up! Oh, no, wait, even baristas have been around enough to know that eight people in one floor of a slummy Allston/Brighton triple-deckers ain't in no way a good thing. College kids, on the other hand, haven't learned this the hard way yet. (I speak from experience, spending the summer after my freshman year in My First Apartment!!1 occupied by no less than 9 people and their various boyfriends and girlfriends, only five of whom were officially on the lease. It was a goddamn zoo. We just plain didn't know any better.)
Oh, wait, here's another nugget of joy.
In their suit, the landlords admit to renting out homes or units to anywhere from five to eight students at a time. But they point out that the student renters have more square feet of living space than is required under state health codes.
"We can pack 'em in like rats, but it's okay, because they're healthier than rats! The state sez it's cool!"
Again, brilliant. I'm beginning to think that the landlords really are trying to play to the students' lack of real-world knowledge, and I almost feel bad for the one student they got to go along with them.
Not greedy landlords
It's certainly not just greedy landlords who are against the new regulation. Plenty of students are against it, as well.
But, people have about as much respect for students as they do for landlords, so it was an easy win for the City Council.
My reply to the upset students
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!
Don't like it? Transfer out of town. Not that hard.
My advice: Politics has
My advice:
Politics has consequences. If it bothers you so much, out organize the very small, but vocal group or residents in the community and run things the way you and you're peers want.
It's simple really, run, vote, turnout. Average residents are so apathetic to local politics that it be the easiest way to make change.
Problem is most students are just little snowflakes leaching of mommy and daddy's nest egg, and don;t know how the real world works.
What's A Student?
What I never understood about this law was what defines a student? Full time undergrad? Work during the day, go to grad school at night? What if the student graduates part way during the lease? What if a student drops out or goes back to school? What if there are 3 professionals and 2 students?
That's lovely
I love the "don't like it? move" argument.
Sorry, that's not how it works. It's called being active and demanding change. Why should I or anyone accept something that someone else does? Esp. when it's wrong.