When it comes to court, it’s important for landlords to "check their ego at the door" Michael Spurr, broker/owner of Newton Centre Associations said during a speech last night at the brokerage’s real estate seminar and trade show.

The gathering at Ristorante’ Marcellinos in Waltham was the ninth annual event aimed at current and potential investors in the multi-family or small apartment sector. Spurr also discussed the importance of staging, warning investors that large apartment and condo complexes often spend tens of thousands of dollars a year furnishing and maintaining model apartments in order to tempt renters and buyers. If their property doesn’t show well, it may still get a lot of viewings, Spurr said – but mostly from brokers looking to convince clients to bite the bullet and make an offer on a different property.

Keynote speaker Philip Lapatin, lead council for the Rental Housing Authority and partner at Holland & Knight, also offered advice to the crowd. He reviewed some basics about fair housing law and other potential liabilities for landlords. His mentions of a few egregious cases in which Massachusetts courts have ruled against property owners drawing chuckles and groans from the crowd. 

"What I would recommend to you, is that after you’ve rented an apartment to someone who is under a protected class [under fair housing laws] that you do keep a record of it. Because when the day comes that someone accuses you of not renting them an apartment because they happen to be black, it will be critical for you to be able to say to that investigator, ‘Take a look at my records, I’ve rented apartments to 15, 20 blacks over the course of seven or eight years," he advised. "Believe me, that will be very persuasive evidence in getting you off the hook."