Rent Control in Boston

I have posted a couple of times about the housing market in Boston. Here and here. Recently the Boston City Council has been debating a proposal that would change the tenant/landlord relationship. This new proposal would give tenets the right to collectively discuss the rent, and other housing needs, with their landlords. These discussions would happen every 6 months in front of the Rental Housing Resource Center. I said discuss, not bargain, because unfortunately nothing that would be discussed would be binding.

Another odd item in the proposal is that it would only kick into effect when Landlords own 20 units or more. (10 units or Landlords that live outside of Boston.) In my nine years of living in Boston I have lived in seven apartments, only two of them were for for profit Landlord company's. The other five were in smaller Owner occupied situations, so the new proposal would have not benefited me.

In researching rent control, I have found that there are passionate and vocal people on both sides. I guess that should not come as much of a surprise, as this issue attacks the principals of the "Free Market". I guess it's fitting that one hope for more affordable housing in Boston is for the housing market to keep falling.