This Important Snow Removal Tip Could Save Your Life and Home

Dealing with "Ice Dam"-age To Your Property

Ice dams are severely dangerous to you and your property. 

This article will provide tips and information about how to remove ice dams, precautionary measures, and how hiring a reliable property management team will save you money in large maintenance costs. You must have seen/heard the ice dams as they fall off roofs across the city!

March is a dangerous transitional month for two reasons:

• Daylight Savings Time begins
• Weather patterns change from winter to spring seasons.

The latter takes precedent as the city continues to recover from the harshest winter on record of modern-era Boston, being hit with multiple blizzards that incredibly netted over 100 inches in less than a 30-day span.

Emergency Alerts for Snow?

Sounds crazy, but snow falling off roofs is definitely grounds for an emergency.

This year there have been many new cases in which injuries, deaths, and emergency alerts about roofs collapsing or caving in from the combination of snowbanks that have turned to ice beds and heavy rains.

Many of the ice dams cases go unreported during these freezing temperatures and destroy house gutters and/or the siding of houses.
These treacherous situations will continue to increase as the last surges of cold weather grips the Boston area.Learn how to remove ice dams.

Removal Costs of Your Roof's Iceberg

Even as the weather continues to get warmer, please be aware that New England will likely see a last stretch of cold weather in which more ice dams will form.

Be aware that with the fact that March annually averages to be the wettest month of the year with the highest amount of precipitation, namely in the northeast, or New England now is the time to consider flood insurance for your property

Property owners should be prompt to prevent the dangers of these icicles falling onto their tenants heads upon entry into their units/buildings. The combination of wet weather and temperature increases the amount of icicles to dangerously fall.

How a Property Management Team Saves You Money

First of all, you can write off ice dam removal as an expense if you are an owner or board member within a condo association that could benefit you and your tenants.

Tips for funding ice dam removal on your property:

• Ice damming has been quite prevalent. Reputable vendors are often booked solid even working extended hours, so owners should report issues as soon as they notice to get on a service list as soon as possible. The City of Boston took over all available dump trucks this season, making it even more difficult for private property owners to lock down a vendor swiftly for hauling snow offsite.
  
• Some properties are physically unable to safely remove dams (due to roof access, no tie off points), so mitigation may be limited or delayed while the weather winds down. Owners should continue to monitor the issue and report any changes in the meantime.
  
• This season has been be a budget-buster for many associations. They may consider pulling from available reserve account funds, assessing supplemental fees to the ownership, or applying for a short term loan.
• Insurance – add a disclaimer to review your specific master policy, your individual homeowner’s policy, and your specific condominium documents.
  
• Ice dam abatement and roofing work will be completed as an association expense (because roofs and gutters are considered common area).
  
• Your homeowner’s insurance policy should be used to cover loss located within your unit that was a result of the malfunction of the common area elements. Boston Condo insurance docs generally dictate that Unit Owners are responsible for proper maintenance and repair of their own units. Unit boundaries are generally described in the Master Deed.
  
• If a claim is filed on the master policy, you would be responsible for the master deductible, which will be covered by your homeowner’s insurance policy, less the deductible on your homeowner’s policy. You will be responsible for your homeowner’s insurance deductible.
  
• Take special note of exclusive uses and easements to private roof decks, etc. You may be responsible for snow removal of these areas.
  

Final Thoughts on Snow Removal of Ice Dams

So you have the understanding of how insurance, a great property management team, and how ice dams can do damage to both your home and wallet if you do not plan accordingly for their potential formation.

Tell us your experiences with gutters collapsing and how the damage was handled? Or any alternatives to this that you may find viable on a shoestring budget after this harsh winter?

Why Minorities are the New Majority in Boston Real Estate

In honor of Black History Month, the focus of this article is to address how Boston's longtime homogenized neighborhoods are beginning to see a change in their racial and cultural makeup. Learn how the city is adapting and increasing in Massachusetts racial diversity.

Boston's Rise in Diversity And Your Neighborhood

With every census we learn more about homeownership statistics and will gain more findings of non-white property owners. In order to make a change it is important to know our roles in our neighborhoods and recognize these positive aspects of these changes.

Just like residents can make a difference, Boston management companies can also help non-white landlords and property owners gain better reputations and overcome prejudices that have plagued them for many generations.

Power In Numbers and Ethnic Division

Boston has a predictable "blue" vote due to the millenials who make up almost half of its workforce as well as the many students in the hundreds of academic institutions.

Historically, Massachusetts voters typically swing towards the left and can date back to the late 17th century, when it was the first state in the U.S. to abolish slavery in 1783. 

Even though Boston is the farthest north major city in their region of the country, and the North was once deemed as the haven for freedom for black slaves in America, there has been a dichotomous undercurrent that lies in the historic segregated sections of Boston since the turn of the 20th century.

Boston ethnic neighborhood ethnic divisions generally include:

• Italians in The North End
• Irish in South Boston and Brighton 
• Whites in Back Bay, Kenmore, South End, and Charlestown sections all predominated by white residents.

• Roxbury, Mattapan, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain and Hyde Park are common for blacks, Latinos, Asians, and Indians 

These areas are statistically averaged as lower per-capita income areas for at least the past fifty years. This is not to say that it is not by choice from the people themselves in these neighborhoods of Boston feeling comfortable with their own racial background.

There has been a lot of progress since the racial strife that haunted many Boston generations (i.e. the Metco busing crisis of inner-city students to Roslindale, Swampscott, Newton, and other suburban sections during the 1970s and 1980s and the discriminatory practice of redlining that was outlawed by the 1968 Fair Housing Act).

City of Boston's Change in Ethnicity 1980 vs. 2000

If you notice in the graph below there was a gradual decrease in many ways

How race matters in Boston real estate today

• Between the years 1980 and 2000, the majority of the city's white residents versus minorities went from 68% to 50%, respectively.

• As the laws for immigration continue to be amended, there has been a spike in newer immigrants to Boston, a major U.S. port city, for work and living.

• The local economy sees an increase in the costs of living across the board, causing people to move to the outskirts of the city such as Allston/Brighton, East Boston, Malden, Medford, Somerville, and Roslindale.

Bottomline: People Live Where they Can Afford It

People will live where they can afford to, no matter who looks like them across the street from their home. Diversity is on the rise in Boston and the predominance of whites is decreasing.

Money can socioeconomically stratify people, not necessarily just their color.

For this reason, a good example according to Alvaro Lima, director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, who cited the census data between 2000 and 2010 states that the South End is becoming increasingly diverse as a hot bed for diversity (LGBT, blacks, spanish, young professional, Asian residents). 
South End residents live in close quarters between million-dollar homes and public housing complexes. Lima stated that "the biggest shifts in diversity occurred in West Roxbury, JP, and pockets of Dorchester."  
Also, new housing developments and commercial real estate in the city are seeing record numbers in sections such as Roxbury, Dorchester, Medford. Their is great potential for business profit and an increase with inter-cultural exchange.

So How Does Property Management Play Into Boston's Diversity?

Humans are naturally scared of things we do not understand and it is important as property managers that we keep an open mind towards racial diversity. Past experiences can often cloud our vision of how certain races behave, and we must realize that diversity helps our communities. Cultural groups add to the diverse fabric our country is built on in many ways:

• Cultural groups have unique strengths and perspectives that all communities can benefit. 
• Understanding cultures will help us overcome and prevent racial divisions.
• Appreciation of cultural diversity goes hand-in-hand with a just and equitable society.
• Learning about the influences that cultural groups have had on our mainstream history and culture, we are missing out on an accurate view of our society and our communities. 

Equal opportunity housing is important as we grow as a nation and city. Boston has a large turnover of students every year and it is important that we continue to bring in fresh new thinking as we accept all members of our community. 

Please tell us about how racial diversity affects your everyday life and what you are doing to make a difference in the comments below.

5 Benefits of Hiring an Experienced Property Manager

Investors in any industry want yield or profit. 

In the real estate market, home buyers need to find means to ensure their property value appreciates over the long-term span of their investment.

A Great Property Manager Will Improve Your Property Value and Create Happy Residents.

You will find there are requirements that are tough to handle all by yourself. There is only so much you can do when you have to balance a personal and professional schedule to get to all your tenants needs and property upkeep at once.

As a property owner, you can live comfortably by hiring an experienced property manager to help with daily activities that will ease strain on operations.

Have you ever dealt with tenant complaints such as:

• Suffering from horrendous bed bugs in your building?
• Lack of hot water to clean and shower?
• Your property being located between a main road and near a forest area with decaying, odorous roadkill near your front lawn?

Don't get stuck cleaning your own pool.

These complaints can quickly take all your time and finding reliable property management services in Boston can help make sure residents receive proper and timely care in their home.

Reliable building maintenance is not the only reason why you should hire a property manager, these 5 advantages will help you over the length of your property investment.

5 Advantages of Hiring A Property Manager

1. Capital Improvements- There are items and maintenance that you will want to spend time on in order to bring more value to your property. It could range from a newly improved basement, kitchen counter tops, or a new deck to add to the side of your building or a particular unit. A property manager's experienced staff will maintain professional affiliations and designations to assist with capital property improvement projects. These capital improvements have tax benefits that can lower your tax bills and add more value to your property if you decide to sell it.
2. Lifestyle Marketing- Tenants choose to live in a condo association if based off a lifestyle preference to the dwell in those facilities. Ease of repair request and prompt maintenance can be streamlined with a property management online maintenance request form to provide quick responses to complaints that arise. Landlords and property owners need to make their tenants feel secure and confident enough to renew their leases in their rental units. When it comes to the term "ROI" regarding home investments, it not only stands for "return on investment" but also "residential operations insurance." This will help your property's image to potential new tenants looking for a new home.
3. Emergency Support-As mentioned in the first paragraph, you may not be able to tend to your tenants concerns, incidents, or emergencies right away. You will need to have a property manage can swiftly communicate with tenants in these instances. What if you live another town or state in which you are unable to come to your tenant's rescue? Having a property manager for emergency support will mitigate the risk of these problems from persisting. 
4. Screening For High Quality Tenants- A good property manager can help in the sales and rental process for finding tenants that are just as reliable the property manager to you. The best tenants are the ones that can pay their rent on time and great research skills to find out about the rental applicant's history.Property damage control tips will help resolve communications issues with the ones that won't give you trouble overall like leaving in the midst of their signed leases. Less legal problems, more profitability in the end for your investment.
5. Affordable Housing Programs- Some landlords and property owners participate in an affordable housing program. These are complex situation per the terms and conditions of the financial assistance that you may receive for holding the property. The financial assistance may be in the form of a grant, low-interest loan, or tax credits, in exchange per an agreement to rent a portion of the property to tenants earning below a certain income level. The landlord or property owner must comply with a set of complicated rules in order to receive further financial assistance. This is when things get hairy, so hire a property manager with ample experience and expertise to handle property management administrative tasks.

Final Thoughts on Why to Hire a Property Manager

Housing investments are great additions to your personal wealth, but let the professionals handle your management tasks to free up extra time for you to expand your business.

In today's economy, where underwater mortgages and foreclosures are rampant, you want to keep your credit on the high and have a property manager that can add future value to your property. 

What are your experiences have you had where a property manager on your staff would have been helpful?

Tell us in the comment section below so we can all learn from this topic. 

How Water Heater Efficiency Standards Are Changing in 2015

Now that we are in the thick of the cold seasons, our most prized household commodity is heat.

And it can be EXPENSIVE!

Whether increasing the room temperature of your units, hot water to bathe, or to wash dishes in the kitchen sink, heat is an essential asset for boston property managers.

When searching for boston area apartments for rent keep in mind that the state and federal government standards have been changing. The standards are expecting to save money for consumers and reduce our gas emissions.

Forecasting a 30-year period, consumers will save about $8.7 billion and carbon dioxide emissions will be cut by 154 million metric tons from the new standards.

What Are Efficiency Standards?

The efficiency standards were established by Congress after the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987 to regulate a minimum level of energy consumption for residential and commercial products.

Household Appliances Included:

• Clothes Dryers
• Clothes Washers
• Direct Heating Equipment
• Dishwashers
• Furnaces
• Microwave Ovens
• Pool Heaters
• Ranges and Ovens
• Room Air Conditioners
• Boilers
• Refrigerators and Freezers
• Incandescent Reflector Lamps

The efficiency standard levels are updated every five years by the U.S. DOE (Department of Energy), and the last date for the updated levels was in 2010.

The DOE allows three years of lead time for manufacturers of the aforementioned products to comply with the updated standards. We are now approaching the fifth year in the newest update, as of April 16, 2015.

Save Money From New Efficiency Standards on Water Heaters

There are two types of appliances that are used for water heating, which are typical storage/heater units and instantaneous water heaters. They account for an average of 20% of total energy consumption in U.S. households.

Other important percentages that pertain to energy consumption averages include the required energy factor (EF) which varies depending on the type of water heater, and rated storage volume.

• 53% of households use natural gas water heaters
• 38% use electricity
• 4% use oil

The DOE's initiative is for gas-fired and electric storage water heaters with a volume greater than 55 gallons, placing new standards effectively, and requiring heat pumps for electric storage products.

Also, they are looking for condensing technology for gas storage products. Learn more about thermostats, radiators and surviving the winter.

The goal of the standard is that it will save a projected 2.6 quads of energy over 30 years or about enough energy to meet the total energy needs of about 13 million typical U.S. households for one year. Forecasting a 30-year period, consumers will save about $8.7 billion and carbon dioxide emissions will be cut by 154 million metric tons.

Final Thoughts on Hot Water Heater Efficiency Standards

Landlords and property managers need to be aware of these regulations in order to save some money per the initiatives on energy consumption of these household appliances within their owned units and properties at large.So what does this means for you regarding condo maintenance and heating repair fees? Do you think that you can create new practices along with your tenants to reduce energy consumption through the next 6 months and beyond? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below

Why You Should Consider Flood Insurance in Boston

Prepare Your Property For Flooding and Water Damage

The purpose of this article is to give ways for landlords and renters to prepare your property and personal valuables from detrimental flooding in Boston, MA.

Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in the United States. Flood insurance is a great investment for both property owners and renters to prevent significant financial loss. 
Your decision to take out a flood insurance policy will be based partly on two things: 

1. Risk of flooding in your area
2. Value of your possessions and/or property.  

As our sea levels continue to rise yearly, one thing that we cannot avoid discussing is the chance of floods and the cost of higher premiums over time as the demand for policies may increase.  
When choosing flood insurance it is important to assess risk, know the coverage limits of your flood insurance policy, and not to rely on the government to financially rescue you. 
*Understand that your insurance plan's increase of high premium rates will depend on your property value.

Risk Assessment For Flood Insurance

Homeowners are 26 times more likely to be affected by a flood than a home fire as calculated by the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America. You can also expect the risk of floods to continue to increase in Boston, MA with a 70% increase in heavy rainfall in the Northeast from 1958.

But only about 1 in 4 homes in high risk areas carry this kind of insurance.

Courtesy of ClimateCentral.org

Most homes in Boston, MA are inevitably under-insured due to being located in higher risk areas since we are near the coast line and are along the Charles River. The help of a Boston property management company can only do so much to preserve the welfare of your property. 

Steps to Prepare Property for Flooding in Boston

Most property owners would believe that they do not have enough valuable items to even take out a policy for rental property damage control. If that is your circumstance, you can do a things to help prevent permanent damage to your floors, windows, furniture, upholstery, and other items by doing the following:

• Seal your windows with heat-shrink window films along the ground floor and basement. You can purchase this at any hardware or home improvement store
• Apply more grout down in between your floor tiles to prevent them from erosion
• Caulk your tub, counters, sinks, and glue any infrequently used lower cabinets shut 
• Map the risk of your property's location by contacting the FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program called FIRMS or call 888-379-9531. 

Knowledge of Limits to Flood & Renter Insurance Policy Coverage

Please note that flood insurance covers damage resulting from rising water from outside the house. 

But it doesn't cover: 

• Leaky bathtub 
• Broken pipes
• Sewer back-ups

Tenants should consider renter's insurance since they have valuables that need to be covered inside of their humble abode. Renter's insurance will help protect property not included in flood insurance.

It is important to have effective communication methods for renter's and property owners to ensure everyone is on the same page in the course of a natural disaster. 

Get Flood Insurance - Dont Rely On The Government

Sue Nestor of the IIAB states that "one-third of claims we see come from people who live outside flood zones." This means that even though may not live near a body of water, you still cannot elude the risk of flooding. 

Why Flood Insurance & Renter's Insurance for your Property in Boston?

The selling points for insurance products and services to new customers is chance, future value, and financial security with a value proposition of education on what is covered in the policy. Keep in mind that finished basements including carpeting, wallpaper or personal belongings are not insured by the government, nor are they insured with an excess flood insurance policy.

Knowing the ins-and-outs of your insurance plans will help gauge what you should place up high, what needs extra caulk and how much extra work should be done to insure flooding stays out of your home in Boston, MA.

How To Communicate Effectively With Your Tenants

This article is to help landlords and property managers build a great reputation amongst their tenants leading higher retention for rental units and protection in case of tenant disputes.

A profitable business requires traffic with a loyal customer base, and an open door policy to run effectively with feedback from customers. Effective communication with tenants will help build a better reputation for your company by resolving issues faster.

The cost structure is centered around collecting monthly rental payments from tenants. Quick attendance to the tenant's needs ensures they maintain happy, paying rent, and keeping bad press off the internet by communicating upfront with the Boston property management company. If tenants know you are open to resolving issues they will come to you first. 

Good communication with tenants is the oil to keep the business's motor running and is integral for maintaining a strong return on property investment.

Communication Methods That Drive Quality Living For Your Tenants

All tenants will feel like they have some say in matters and don't want to feel at the mercy of their landlord. Having poor communication will lead to issues with property management team when something goes wrong. The combination of timing and messaging are the keys to making sure that the tenants have been given enough notice to react to the landlord or property management. Attempt to avoid any "surprises".

Expected scenarios and the best ways to communicate in each situation:

• Share Expectations From Day 1- When tenants move into the building, you have to set the precedent for how, what, and why the common shared living expectations are. Give the new tenants a Boston move-in guide so they know what to expect from their landlords and their neighbor(s) in the building or house. With shared expectations, tenants will be forewarned not to have late night parties, smoking in the house, the rules on pets in the units, no mischief night, etc.

• Telephone Calls Only During The Daytime If Necessary- People within your property may have various communication styles. Tenants do not always always have time to call you back and vice versa. But try not to call them at night after 8pm if you can. Most people are ending their work day around that time, and the last person they want to have to deal with is their landlord. If necessary, call when it's an absolute emergency (i.e. a fire, water or gas leak) that requires their immediate attention or input. Email is often always better for both parties.

• Post Notification Letters To Tenants- Put everything in writing, because if it's not written, then it's not documented. Write up and send out letters to tenants that each party can keep the documents for their personal records. Tenants have protection laws in their favor versus landlords, so it's good to have a paper trail to protect yourself in court if you ever are in a dispute with them. Examples of documents include eviction letters to a tenant, property management crew doing work on the premises, or responding to a complaint from a neighbor about your tenant. If you physically mail these letters, make sure they are certified letters to make them officially professional and not personal.

Collecting tenant feedback and data on Twitter

• Social Media- You need to receive as much feedback about your building to keep it up to the satisfaction of the tenants. Using social media channels is like a customer service survey, a great way to collect data to learn how to socially market your properties for new tenants, and to get your reputation improved by making you and your property management team accessible and tangible to the tenants. Tweeting pictures of the property, creating a YouTube channel for how-to videos for repairs they can do themselves in their units, or having a Facebook "like" page to post contests and pertinent information to tenants are great ways to use this channel of communication. 

• Texting To Tenants - People have become more accustomed to seeing more messages from countless different media channels throughout their daily routines. They tend to tune out certain message more than others. But when it comes to messages regarding their living situation, they are more likely to react quicker to what is sent to them. When it comes to SMS mass texting to your tenants, make sure that you have their approval first because not everyone is comfortable with disclosing their personal cell phone number to others. 

Tenant to landlord: "I never got a damage bill from you!"

• Keep Calm At All Times- Running a business like owning a property has its stressful moments. But understand that the customers are the tenants. Communicating with tenants in a confrontational manner is never going to improve the landlord's reputation. The best way to sound in communication with tenants is to address them as "sir" or "ma'am" to make them feel welcome at all times during their tenancy.

• Emailing To Tenants- It is important to cover your tracks that you have used all forms of communication to contact your tenants. Email is the most official way to keep track of conversations and notices, but remember that tone is often difficult to convey, so be polite and NEVER USE ALL CAPS. Emailing them in a blind-copy, or "BCC" message with a subject that briefly speaks to the matter you are emailing them about skirts the excuse that they did not get their texts. 

Final Thoughts

Like a main road during rush hour-commuting time of the day, communication with tenants is a two-way street that requires a facilitator like a traffic signal or law enforcement official to regulate the oncoming traffic. In these terms, the vehicles on the road driving the communication lines of business are the tenants in your property. The traffic signal is the technology that needs to run at all times of the day and night in order to ensure fluidity of the direction the tenants,

The same can be said community building and regulating your property with great communication to tenants for resolving issues.

Share some of your best examples of proper communication that has helped you gain positive feedback from tenants.

Rental Property Damage Control Tips for Owners in Boston, MA

This article explains a list of tips and examples for property owners and landlords to properly deal with occurrences of damage to the property while avoiding sticky legal situations.

Solutions to Property Damage from Tenants

Owning a property includes a large financial risk and whether investing in a house, apartment or condo it is best to maintain clear expectations upfront about damage.

Obviously a tenant will be screened prior to moving in, but accidents will happen and preventive measures are not always available.

This article will help you handle these situations properly to minimize further risk or additional costs to repair the damage.

Tending to Tenant's Damage Inquiries in Boston

Negligence can be somewhat of a grey area for many who are learning those laws and rights of each party for the first time. According to the Massachusetts Attorney General's Guide To Landlord/Tenant Rights, the tenant is responsible for any damage beyond normal wear and tear, and that includes any damage from guests of the tenant.

A tenant is solely at fault, or negligent, if they are not diligent in preserving the apartment as it was from the date they had moved in, and could lead to some withholding of funds from the tenant's security deposit upon their move-out at the end of their lease agreement, based on the amount of the damage costs.

Examples of what would go beyond the terms of normal wear and tear:

• Strongly-opened slammed door against the wall (similar to intro picture)
• Smoking of any kind that causes yellowing of the walls or burn marks on the countertops
• Strong, stale odors in the unit after a tenant moves out that weren't there prior
• Spills that cause extensive stains to a carpeted floor
• A broken window or other unexpected damage
• A grease fire in the kitchen

Landlord Responsibilities To The Tenant In The Rental Unit

According to the Massachusetts Sanitary Code, a landlord has to make sure that the rental unit is ample enough for a tenant to live a habitable environment before the tenant's scheduled move-in date and throughout the duration of oral or written lease agreement.

This includes:

• Ice and snow removal from the property grounds
• Radiators & Heating maintenance
• Pest control and patching holes from pest burrowing through the wall's basin next to the floor
• Anything that falls into the home inspection realm (i.e. lead paint or asbestos in the building or within the rental unit)

Examples of Lease Agreement Expectations

Safety on the Ground Level of the Property

As written in our article, preparing a Boston property for the winter weather, there will be instances in which snow, ice, or even debris (like a fallen tree, pieces of an exploded tire, or roadkill if you live next to a main road) will come up on the property grounds.

It is your duty as the landlord or property manager to have these things all cleared out, making it safe and habitable on the property grounds outside as well as the inside.

Plumbing Problems

Just like a relationship with your tenants, dealing with the rental unit or building's plumbing and water can be a work in progress. By law and theory, landlords must repair the pipes and plumbing in a rental unit and maintain them in good condition due to the lease requiring it and the "implied warranty of habitability."

Plumbing Issues a Landlord Must Tend to When Notified:

• Leaks - Whether it is coming from the ceiling, hot water heater in the basement, or a sink faucet that may cause a flood. The only thing that a landlord or property owners may not have to send out a service crew for right away is a recurring drip sound that keeps you up all night. 
• Mildew - This bacterial substance on the walls is more than just dark, ugly spots where moisture is absorbed into the walls. It is hazardous, and can lead to fines from The Department of Home Inspection.
• Lack of hot water from local construction sites -  In these cases, you must be notified by the city's Public Utilities with a written letter a few weeks in advance telling you the date of when your hot water will be temporarily shut off. This is out of the landlord's control, but bath accordingly to the time frame in those scheduled dates as the landlord should offer alternatives for their affected tenants. 

Legal Cases for Landlords Dealing with Tenant Damage

Diligence is a two-way street for damage control by both the landlord and tenant to prevent damage from happening.

Some situations are beyond the tenant and landlord's control to be deemed liable for damages like the following:

• Burglary in the building or rental unit
• Pests burrowing in the wall
• Termites depleting the strength of a wooden structure
• Natural disasters like an earthquake breaking windows, or a hurricane that causes a flood if the tenant's unit is on the ground floor of the building

Massachusetts Renters Law - Who Should Throw the Book?

Most disputes between the landlord versus the tenants come from disagreement about the tenant's security deposit during the move-out process at the end of the lease. Or evictions can obviously cause a major rift between the landlord and their tenant.

So who the judge should throw the book if a landlord versus renters dispute ends up being settled in a small claims court? 




The Massachusetts law says that a landlord can exercise their rights on the tenant's damage to the unit or property, and to keep you and your tenants on good terms here are some suggestions

• For the screening process of a tenant upon a rental application, make sure that you not only check the tenant's credit but also their rental history and research via other landlord references.
• In cases such as evictions due to lack of monthly rent payments, the tenants may be in retaliation mode to spite the situation. The security deposits can be used to account for what the tenant owes the landlord in past-due rental fees. 
• If there is a damage bill in the apartment worthy of the landlord either keeping the security deposit, or cutting into the original amount to account for the damage costs to the property if it is lesser than the entire amount of the security deposit. 
• Document everything officially on paper regarding the damage (record it on video too), give them a copy of the damage bill, and the payment so that the tenant knows what the cost is. This is so you and your tenant have a mutual understanding of the situation
• Cut your losses by offering the tenants cash to move out. By Massachusetts law, you must give a tenant 2 months notice they you will not be renewing their lease. If they are behind in their rent, or have had multiple occurrences destroying your property, than offer the tenant walking papers if there is still some time before the end of your lease.

Final Thoughts on Boston Property Owners vs. Tenant Rights

Have you had to deal with tenants that make life miserable or harder for you as a landlord or Boston Property Management Company? What are your experiences in handling tenant damage? Tell us your thoughts and other suggested solutions if you can beyond what we have listed.