Local
Boston weighs twice-yearly public scorecard for landlords with unresolved violations
A Boston City Council proposal would create a points system and publish twice-yearly lists of landlords with the most unresolved housing issues. The measure is at an early stage and has not yet been scheduled for a hearing.
Boston renters could eventually have a public tool for checking landlords’ records under a proposal now under review by the City Council.
The plan would establish a points-based system for violations and reported problems that landlords have not resolved. City officials would tally the points twice a year and publish a list identifying landlords with the highest totals.
The council voted this week to send the proposal to its Committee on Government Operations. No hearing date has been set, and the measure has not been approved.
More than 60% of Boston’s housing population rents, according to the latest city data. Some landlords live outside the city or state, and tenants have raised concerns about limited accountability when problems go unaddressed.
South Boston renter Sammie Vides said a public list could help people assess a property before signing a lease. Often, she said, renters do not learn what they are facing until they are already living there and may have few options for leaving.
Delaney Deitrick, who also rents in Boston, said the list could help people choosing an apartment and encourage landlords to meet higher standards.
The proposal’s impact would depend on how the city defines eligible violations and unresolved complaints, and how it verifies and updates the information. Those details were not specified in the available description of the plan.