Letter: An Open Letter to Amherst Landlords

The following email (with minor revisions) was sent directly to a landlord of a property on my street after an appeal to the town went largely unheeded.  Unfortunately, the situation referenced is becoming increasingly problematic around town. Enforcement of rental property regulations is, at best, fraught with difficulties and frustration. While the town has web pages allocated for reporting problems related to rental properties, (and to roads and streets), complaints are too often met with the same reaction, i.e.: bupkis. Many student tenants are either unaware of regulations, or are unwilling to jeopardize there status as renters by filing complaints. Web page reporting forms and well-crafted state and local regulations are meaningless window dressing unless there is follow-up, and the follow-up of property complaints requires adequate funding, and staff who are willing to engage with obstreperous landlords or shadowy LLC’s and impose sanctions as stipulated in Amherst’s regulations to impell the correction of violations.

 Dear (landlord),

We recognize the right to invest in rental properties. Moreover, the tenants in the last couple years have for the most past been respectful, peaceful residents of the neighborhood.  But home owners in the vicinity of your property at (insert the address here) are growing alarmed at the continuing deterioration of the house itself. 

Specifically, we have special concerns around the worsening rot around many of the 65 year old windows, which are now no longer weather-tight and allow for the entrance of water and pests; the peeling paint, especially at the rear of the building; the holes and damage in siding, facia and trim that indicates possible insect and/or vemin infestations; the termination of trash collection services (as evidenced by USA waste haulers recently removing their bins); and the overgrowth of vegetation and the presence of a fire pit in the rear of the building. At least some of these issues are probable violations of the MA state health and building codes and/or Amherst’s Rental Property Regulations, and they are reducing the potential resale value not just of your property, but the neighbors’ as well.

We ask that you put yourself in our position and consider what is fair and prudent in terms of responsible property management.  The town of Amherst is facing a decline in its reputation as a desirable community in which to live, and the proliferation of deteriorating student rentals is a large part of this problem.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this matter.

John Varner

John Varner is a resident of Amherst’s District 3.