By Crystal Yormick | Boston University Statehouse Program | December 15, 2025
Advocates for small property owners describe the rent control proposal likely headed for next fall’s ballot as the most “restrictive and aggressive” the state has seen to date and say it would be detrimental to small landlords in the industry.
Small property owners — who provide over 65% of rental housing in Massachusetts, according to the Small Property Owners Association — operate on tight margins, so they are typically only a few missed bank checks away from bankruptcy or losing their business, said Amir Shahsavari, vice president of SPOA.
He said if these “mom and pop” businesses no longer exist, tenants will be in a “tough predicament” if properties are taken over by larger corporations because they will no longer have a person to connect with immediately if there are issues in their building, a benefit usually provided by smaller landlords.
In addition, operating costs, like utilities, insurance and particularly property taxes — which Boston Mayor Michelle Wu recently said are expected to increase by 13% in January— have risen in recent years, which factors into rent pricing. However, if caps are put in place, advocates are concerned property owners will not be able to adapt to these rising costs accordingly.
“On one hand, we appreciate the pressures that renters have when they say that rent is increasing,” Shahsavari said. “But what people miss in this story is that operating costs are also going up exorbitantly for the property owner too.”
“If [small property owners] can’t increase rent rates, what’s going to happen is they have to exit the market,” said Tony Lopes, a SPOA board member. “We can’t afford to supply this housing at a loss every month.”
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