Boston Council President Liz Breadon Introduces Ordinance to Expose the ‘Worst Landlords in Boston’

Boston City Council President Elizabeth A. “Liz” Breadon introduced an ordinance last week that would create a public list of the “worst landlords in Boston,” naming landlords who repeatedly violate housing and sanitary code requirements.

The proposed ordinance would identify the landlords through a point-based system. A landlord would incur points when they fail to fix sanitary and fire code violations, pay fines, or comply with other rental and inspection requirements. The city would then publish a biannual list of landlords who incur the most points.

Once on the list, a landlord would be fined the maximum amount possible and face increased inspections until they correct their noncompliance. Additionally, landlords who make the list would be prohibited from conducting business with the city, receiving zoning relief, obtaining grants, and participating in the Article 80 process.

Breadon, who introduced the ordinance alongside City Councilor Brian Worrell, said she was inspired by the city of Toronto’s law that requires building owners to post color-coded signs indicating their building’s compliance with code standards.

“It’s a public shaming dashboard, and they found that even just the threat of being on a list of saying ‘you’re a bad landlord’ is impetus to improve performance and provide better accommodation,” Breadon said.

Earlier this month, Breadon’s office released a survey asking Boston renters to share stories and photos documenting poor living conditions that they have experienced. Her office has so far received more than 70 responses — ranging from complaints over unresponsive landlords and management to structural issues, including mold, water damage, cockroach infestations, and difficulties with heating.

She notes that the problem is particularly relevant in Allston-Brighton, where 80 percent of occupied homes are rentals. But only around 4 percent of apartments in Allston are available for rent, and Breadon said that renters may often stay in suboptimal housing due to fear of retaliation from landlords and the limited housing options available.

“A lot of folks put up with a lot of substandard accommodation or poor living conditions because they feel that they don’t have much choice,” Breadon said.

She hopes that the public landlord list would put some “teeth into the regulations” that the city fails to consistently enforce.

“This scofflaw is more of a way to flag up landlords who persistently provide substandard accommodation and don’t treat their tenants well,” Breadon said.

A hearing on the ordinance has yet to be scheduled, but Breadon is optimistic that the City Council will vote on the measure by the end of the year.

“We’ll have a hearing on it just to really get people up to speed about where we’re at now, and then we’ll move quickly onto a working session and finish off, refine the language, and take feedback, and then I would hope to bring it up for a vote before the end of the year,” Breadon said.

— Staff writer Kevin Zhong can be reached at [email protected].