So. The next thing I want to bring up goes for every tenant in the area. In the coming days you will be filling out a form for your landlord that goes through the condition of the unit you’re living in.

Yesterday morning, a fire broke out in Lower Allston. People literally MOVED IN that day only for the fire to burn their house down, and with it all of their belongings. Now, while we don’t know how long it’s been since the landlord last had an inspector check the wiring, the official cause has been deemed an electrical fire.

The abolishment of rent control in 1994 immediately doubled most rents and forced families out of their homes. Landlords favor students.

Students only live in units for a short amount of time. If your unit isn’t up to code, you might not even be living there long enough to realize.

It is your responsibility to know your rights as a tenant. Please ask your landlord about the last time the wiring was checked, because you’re not going to figure it out while you’re filling out the condition form. Some units haven’t been checked in years. It’s suffice to say that there are MANY units in the neighborhood that aren’t up to code. If you start to realize this, you CAN in fact withhold rent. This also applies to crucial repairs that need to be made, such as an unstable deck.

Here is a booklet that you can read informing you of your rights.

We also strongly recommend that you get renter’s insurance. It’s cheaper than you think.

The City of Boston, in tandem with universities, has recently started logging every student/off-campus house. We recommend they use this database to send the tenants’ rights pamphlet to every student.