Index to questions:
However, the literal answer is that, yes, the dollar value of the new rent itself is comparable to the rents of other nearby complexes. It appears that SSR's plan was to upgrade the complex so that it'll have the same "checklist" of features as other complexes that were charging more, and then raise the rent to match.
The catch is that it's a 13 oz. product at the 16 oz. price. The apartments themselves aren't comparable, but in ways that aren't obvious from, say, an Apartment Guide ad. For example, the new rents are just about the same as across the street at Windsor Village. However, their 1BR is 900 sq.ft., while ours are 720 sq.ft. Their 2BR is a two-level townhouse with 1 1/2 baths, while ours are a single floor of about 920 sq.ft. with 1 bathroom. Theirs have central air conditioning; ours have just a wall air conditioner. Their apartments have individual entrances to the outside; ours don't. On the other hand, our apartments have much better sound-proofing. Unfortunately, differences like these aren't apparent from advertisements or the typical summary pages of apartment features.
Virtually every other apartment complex in the Boston area, including those owned by other large, out-of-state, corporate owners who run multiple large complexes in the Boston area, have had a policy of gradual increases for existing tenants. Market rates are charged to people moving in, but increases for existing tenants are gradual and in proportion to their current rent. When the housing market is "hot" and rents are rising rapidly, the gap between the "market" rate and the rate paid by existing tenants grows; when the market cools, rates for existing tenants "catch up" and the gap shrinks. Comparable 2BR apartments might thus be going for $1100 to a long time tenant and $1450 to a new tenant (which is the case at the Charlesbank apartment complex in Waltham, for example). In future years, the % increase would be a little larger for the longer-term tenant, but the $ increase would be smaller than for the newer tenant.
In a few cases, such as hot housing markets like Swampscott, rents have reportedly been rising as much as $200/month per year. In such cases, though, these repeated yearly increases at least do not come as a surprise, and tenants are able to make informed decisions in an orderly fashion.
Imagine learning on the first of some month, to your surprise, that you wouldn't be able to stay where you are now. Then imagine having to find another place you could afford, packing up everything, arranging with movers to move, etc., and doing it all in the next 2-3 months, especially if you have a full-time job.
The Boston housing market is "hot". Vacancy rates are very low (approaching just 1%). If your time frame for moving doesn't include June 1 or September 1, you'll have a rather limited selection of apartments to choose from. The problem is worse if you're of moderate income and need to stay near your job in the city, since finding an apartment you can afford will be even more difficult. In fact, local newspapers and TV stations are running stories about how the middle class is being priced out of Boston-area housing. The problem gets worse again if you're elderly, handicapped, or disabled, so that getting around to look at apartments, packing, and unpacking, is an effort.
Since you have to have some place to live, if you can't find a place else quickly enough, you're forced to remain, even if the rent is more than you can afford long term. Putting people in this situation is predatory.
To make matters worse, SSR began eviction proceedings against people who couldn't pay the new rent and didn't get out fast enough, regardless of their situation. SSR's rejection of gradual rent increases for existing tenants has destroyed the Northgate Heights community and violates long-standing precedents followed by all responsible landlords in the Greater Boston area. Additionally, SSR's refusal to give people adequate time to deal with the situation in an orderly fashion is both unreasonable and unacceptable. Thus our resistance.
In addition, Jeffrey Morris, the Managing Directory of Metric Property Management, said in an interview on WGBH's Greater Boston Wednesday, July 14, 1999, "MetLife is aware of what SSR is doing at Northgate Heights and supports our position."
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