City's Rent Board to Finalize Condo Conversion Rules Today

The Cambridge Rent Board will give final approval today to a set of regulations designed to limit eviction of tenants for condominium conversion.

Under the regulations, developers will be required to obtain a permit from the board before beginning conversion of a rental apartment to a condominium. The guidelines are strict enough that "more permits will be denied than granted," Jim Remeika, the board employee who drafted the regulations, said yesterday.

Increasing conversion of rental units to condominiums prompted the City Council to demand the regulations in early August.

Many Issues

Under the guidelines, hearing examiners will consider a number of factors before deciding to grant a permit to a developer. The factors include:

"Statistical data about the housing market in Cambridge, or within particular neighborhoods," including the number of rental units, the number of vacant rental units, and new construction;

Tenant's age, financial status, occupation and health;

"Length of tenant's occupancy in the unit, building or neighborhood involved";

Size and makeup of tenant's family;

Condition of the housing involved;

The present and likely future rent structure in the building; and

Comparable housing actually made available to the tenant, including housing made available by the developer.

Potential developers can only apply twice a year for permits on the same rental unit. "This was an effort to keep tenants somewhat at ease, to prevent possible harassment from continued applications," Remeika told the board at a meeting last night.

City Councilor Mary Ellen Presser described the ordinance last summer as an "effort to maintain the diversity of our neighborhoods."

At least 2000 units of rental housing have been converted to condominiums in the last few years in Cambridge.