Tenant destruction leads to costly renovations.

Maria and her husband live a moderate middle-income life in New Bedford. She’s white collar. He’s a blue collar business owner. To better their income and create a retirement nest egg, the couple began investing in rental properties. Coupled with her position in real estate, Maria acts as landlord of the family’s rental investment business.

In a recent conversation, Maria mentioned she’s doing massive renovations on one of her properties because of heavy damages from former tenants. “It costs landlords money every time a tenant moves out,” claims Maria. She intends to sell that property. It’s becoming a losing proposition.

Imagine Maria’s disgust when she learned about Tuesday’s rally and hearing on Beacon Hill. That rally was in support of a bill to allow city and town government leaders to regulate evictions and slap rent controls on multi-family dwellings. These old rickety units are a dime a dozen in New Bedford.

If H.R. 3924 passes and is OK’d by the Governor, it opens the door to abolishing the 1994 voter-approved ballot initiative that effectively slammed the door on rent control in Massachusetts. Maria quips, “… they [legislators] need to leave things alone. How are they going to rent control if a lot of homes, three families, are affected on the appraisal. When the rents are too low [a] lotta people won’t get qualified because the rents don’t cover what the banks percentage needs to be.” She adds, “They shouldn’t be making laws of things they don’t work in.”

I am one of the majority that in 1994, voted out rent control throughout the Commonwealth. Beacon Hill lawmakers need to heed our warning not to tamper with this voter-backed measure. Twenty twenty (2020) is a huge election year. We, the people, can speak again at the ballot box.

November will mark twenty-six years since that landmark vote. If groups like Homes For Families and City Life/Vida Urbana truly believe abolishing rent control is an injustice everybody supports, then they should pursue a ballot question to see if the voters agree. These groups know we won’t! That’s why rallying to get state lawmakers to usurp the will of the people by doing their bidding is their only chance at success.

Rental prices in eastern Mass., are astronomical. Instead of governments thrusting rent control on landlords and potentially forcing them to sell, here are a few market solutions to remedy out-of-control rent prices.

Go west

Home and rental prices in western Worcester county and beyond are markedly lower and much more affordable than in the Greater Boston area. Fewer people vying for Boston area properties, organically helps reduce buying/rental prices. 

Fewer regulations

City/town leaders need to ease up zoning laws that forbid certain triple-decker and 4-family units from being mixed-use, commercial and residential properties. Easing these regulations allow small businesses to occupy one portion of a property and residential tenants to live in the other sections. It also pries open the door for small business owners to buy these types of properties. 

Show more people how to legitimately earn extra income

Imagine working a part-time gig to cover the rent/mortgage. Now people have the rest of their money to do the things they want and need to do. Let’s face it, great paying jobs in New Bedford are few and far between. There are a plethora of opportunities all over. If people and groups like New England United for Justice spent more time learning about and incorporating these opportunities to assist cash-strapped folks, less time will be needed to chant for rent control!

Rent control is just another way governments’ policy negatively affects and effects business, life, liberty and your wallet. We saw that in the years preceding 1994. In the future, let’s not let governments take us back. 

Disclaimer: Brian Thomas is the Producer/Host of Brian’s Beat on 1420 WBSM-New Bedford.  Hear Brian each Saturday from 7:00 am-9:00 am.  The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.