By Richard D. Vetstein, ESQ
Does Lodging House Law Apply to Student Apartments?
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has agreed to hear the?Worcester College Hill?case?[enhanced version available to lexis.com subscribers]?which may significantly impact landlords renting apartments to students and in other multi-family situations. The justices will decide whether renting to 4 or more unrelated persons in one apartment unit requires a special license under the?Massachusetts lodging housing law,?which would require fire sprinklers and other expensive upgrades. The SJC will hear?oral arguments?in the case on January 7, 2013.
The case arose at The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester where several landlords rented out apartments to groups of unrelated students. The Housing Court and?Appeals Court had previously ruled that the landlords ran afoul of the lodging house law by renting to more than 3 unrelated persons in one rental unit without the special lodging house license.
Impact Outside College Towns?
Prior to the Appeal Court's decision, housing authorities typically allowed 4 or more unrelated adults to occupy single apartments as?roommates?without a lodging license provided that minimum space requirements were met: 150 s.f. of living space for the first person, 100 s.f. for each additional person (3 occupants = 350 s.f. of living space); 70 s.f. of bedroom space for 1st person, plus 50 s.f. for additional person (120 s.f. for 2 persons in one bedroom).
In the City of Boston, a?new zoning ordinance?went into effect in 2008 prohibiting?5?or more undergraduate students from living in one apartment unit. We will see how the Boston Inspectional Services Dept. interprets the?College Hill?ruling.
The SJC's decision will hopefully clarify this grey area of Massachusetts rental property law.
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?Mr. Vetstein has represented clients in hundreds of lawsuits and disputes involving business, real estate, construction, condominium, zoning, environmental, banking and financial services, employment, and personal injury law.
In real estate matters, Mr. Vetstein handles residential and commercial transactions and closings. In land use, zoning, and licensing matters, Mr. Vetstein offers his clients an inside perspective as a former board member of the Sudbury Zoning Board of Appeals. Mr. Vetstein has an active real estate litigation practice, and was a former outside claims counsel for a national title company.
Drawing on his own business degree and experience, Mr. Vetstein assists his business clients with new business start ups, acquisitions, sales, contract, employment issues, trademarks, and succession planning. Mr. Vetstein also litigates, arbitrates and mediates a wide variety of commercial disputes.
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