Have you had a landlord ask you to do something they’re supposed to handle, like shoveling snow or dealing with a rat infestation? Have they ever dragged their feet on important repairs or charged illegal fees? Have you ever shaken your fist and then given up because, although you’re in the right, you don’t have any leverage?
In Somerville, both you and your landlord know two things: it would be hard for you to find a new apartment, and it would be easy for them to find a new tenant. That’s because our vacancy rate is extremely low, close to 2%. It’s been so low for so long that it often feels like just the way it’s always been and always will be.
Credit: Somerville Housing Needs Assessment
But it wasn’t always like that, and it doesn’t have to be like that forever. If we were to change to a having a healthy vacancy rate of 5 to 8%, that would change the tenant-landlord dynamics. When vacancies are slightly higher, the threat of lost income for a landlord becomes a lot more real. For a small time landlord with one rental, a single missed month of income every year would be an 8% pay cut. That’s a powerful motivator to be a better landlord and follow the rules.
A healthy vacancy rate can also act as an incentive for landlords to invest in their properties. Right now, landlord hardly have to do anything to get new tenants. If you move out because the place is a wreck, there’s always someone else who’s a little more desperate. When vacancy rates are higher, landlords have to work to find tenants — they might have to lower the price, or do repairs, or hire that exterminator, or all of those things.
Adding enough housing to raise that vacancy rate seems like a tall order, especially because it’s a regional problem. And it is. Just about every city and town in Massachusetts has contributed to digging the hole we’re in right now, and it’s going to take time to get back out of it. But it’s not impossible.
If we were to start building 1000 homes per year in Somerville, we could change the dynamics within a decade.
We have strong tenant rights in Massachusetts, but the fear of retribution often makes them hard for tenants to use. By giving real power and choice to the tenants through more housing we can force landlords to play ball and give people a better life.