AVA CHAN
Changed Market

At a time when vacancies are up in Boston and renters have a multitude of apartments from which to choose, one community-based group is helping tenants hunt for a home and secure the best deal they can.

The Allston Brighton Community Development Corp. is holding a series of workshops this summer that will offer tips on negotiating rents and fees and working with real estate agents, as well as providing an overview on leases, tenants’ rights and tools for searching for an apartment.

Today’s rental market largely favors renters, according to local real estate agents, because several factors have eased the demand for apartments in the past two years. Many who previously rented have bought homes with the help of low interest rates and special lending programs that have made it easier for first-time buyers to purchase a residence.

‘Facing Pressures’

Meanwhile, Boston-area communities like Allston and Brighton that have previously experienced intense demand from students have started to see more empty units as local colleges and universities have built additional dormitories to accommodate students.

The sagging local economy has also hurt the rental market, at least from a landlord’s perspective. With companies cutting jobs, many non-student renters have fled to other states or have doubled and tripled up with roommates.

All those factors combined have translated into more housing options for renters.

“Landlords are renovating places to make them stand out in the market because there are a lot of vacancies,” said John Conroy, owner of East Coast Realty in Allston.

Conroy said there is a great mix of apartments available, ranging from studios to four-bedroom units. Owners of larger apartment buildings are offering incentives to fill empty units, and that’s putting pressure on even smaller property owners to lower rents and make other concessions, said Conroy.

Ken Glass, owner of Phoenix Realty, which has offices in Allston and Brookline’s Coolidge Corner, said there are “tons” of vacancies. “The rental market is in the toilet,” he said.

In Allston and Brighton, there were roughly 240 apartments available for rent as of last week and another 680 or so will become available in September.

Despite the fact that the rental market has softened, “we’re seeing people who are still facing pressures” when it comes to finding decent affordable rental housing, said Ava Chan, an organizer with the Allston Brighton CDC.

The Allston Brighton CDC routinely hears from residents who are dealing with apartments that are in disrepair. Last year, for example, the CDC started getting complaints from the community about bedbug infestations, a problem that some residents still confront.

Families in particular have a tough time finding larger apartments with multiple bedrooms, said Chan, and while rents for studios and one-bedroom apartments have slipped, rates are still high for large units with three bedrooms or more.

Of about 240 apartments available for rent in the area last week, fewer than 65 had three or more bedrooms, with rents ranging from a low of $1,400 to a high of $3,800 for a four-bedroom apartment in lower Allston. About 275 apartments with three or more bedrooms will be available come September, with rents ranging from $1,375 to $4,400 for a six-bedroom apartment on Leamington Street in Brighton.

The Allston Brighton CDC traditionally has offered a lot of individual counseling to residents who contact the organization seeking housing assistance. But nearly two years ago the organization received a grant from the city and decided to start the workshops.

“We wanted to reach a more broader audience by doing workshops,” said Chan, who teaches the sessions.

Chan said the workshops provide information on the legitimate fees that tenants may have to pay, and also warn individuals about questionable fees about which they should be more wary. For example, several years ago when the rental market was much stronger, some real estate agents charged $100 or more to hold an apartment for 24 hours, said Chan. Those types of fees aren’t necessary in today’s market.

In addition, workshop participants will learn about a law in Boston that requires landlords to have an apartment inspected by the city within 45 days of a new tenant moving into the unit.

The workshops are free and open to Boston residents. Workshops took place last fall and in March, but they were poorly attended, according to Chan, who said that more outreach needed to be done to make people aware of the sessions. The group also had a workshop last Tuesday. Upcoming workshops will take place on June 29 and July 20.