Crystal Yormick | The New Bedford Light | December 21, 2025
Advocates for small rental 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.
Small property owners operate on tight margins, so many are typically only a few missed bank checks away from bankruptcy or losing their business, said Amir Shahsavari, president of the Small Property Owners Association.
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 property taxes 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.
(New Bedford’s residential tax rate has been dropping from year to year, but the average tax bill has gone up because property values have increased.)
“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 vice president. “We can’t afford to supply this housing at a loss every month.”
The initiative seeks to limit annual rent increases for most residential units in Massachusetts by either the Consumer Price Index increase or 5% — whichever value is lower — during a 12-month period. It would set base rents as of Jan. 31, 2026, but state residents would not vote on the measure, which would apply to every municipality, until next November.
Read the full article here.