The Apartment Blogger

Last month the Boston City Council voted unanimously to petition the Boston Zoning Commission to change zoning rules so that no more than four college-level students can occupy an apartment.

There has been some outrage over this from the SPOA (Small Property Owners Association). The only reasoning I was able to find as to why they are changing the zoning rule and almost blatantly discriminate students as a “Problem Tenant” is the need to reduce partying in certain residential areas were students live.

Overall I don’t think it will have much affect on the rental market as a whole but it will certainly cause a spike in lack of availability and lead to higher rents in the student-congested areas in and around the city.

After working with hundreds if not thousands of students to find them housing I can maybe remember a dozen cases were more then 4 people were sharing the same unit.

It’s also worth mentioning that there is always a very low inventory of 4+ bedroom units regardless of who is looking.

Apartments tend to be smaller in the city. Landlords have an easier time renting smaller apartments. At one time there were larger apartments, but property owners broke those larger units into many smaller ones because they could make more money.

Living on top, under and beside students at various periods of my life I find that you don’t have to live somewhere to participate in a party, so the argument of less people living there = less partying is, to me, irrelevant.

Overall I find the argument that led to the zoning change outrageous but I don’t think it will have much affect on the market.

IG

Filed under: Current Trends by IG on 01.22.2008