ORAL TESTIMONY OF AMIR SHAHSAVARI , VICE PRESIDENT SMALL PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION TO JOINT COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY May 9, 2023 Thank you, Representative DeCoste and good afternoon Chairman Day, Chairman Eldridge, and Members of the Committee. My name is Amir Shahsavari, and I am the vice president of the Small Property Owners Association, also known as “SPOA.” We are an organ ization dedicated to advocating for small rental housing providers who, as a group, supply over half the rental housing in Massachusetts. Most importantly, we want the Committee to understand that SPOA’s members are both small business owners and housin g providers. We play an integral part in the Bay State’s housing infrastructure, and we want to work with both elected officials and tenant organizations to strengthen and stabilize the rental housing market for all income levels of both property owners an d tenants. The two issues we’d like to discuss with you today center on the establishment of a rent escrow requirement in cases where rent is withheld during owner/tenant disputes — which we support — and those that create a universal and unreciprocated ten ant right - to - counsel in legal disputes — which we oppose. On the issue of Rent Escrow, SPOA supports House, No. 1675, “An Act to Promote Housing Stability,” and House, No. 1465, An Act Relative to Rent Escrow, because they create a level playing field in cases where Massachusetts law allows for the withholding of rent by a tenant alleging breach of duty or contract by a property owner. Put simply — with a rent escrow requirement — withheld rental payments are guaranteed to be available to go to whichever part y the court decides should get them. Without rent escrow, too often withheld rental payments are long spent once a final verdict is reached. This is a simple fix to make the system work as intended. SPOA opposes House, No. 1731 as it would codify a univ ersal right to counsel into state law. We think this bill springs from a false narrative that most, if not all, eviction cases are brought by wealthy property owners against wronged tenants. In reality, many small property owners face the same financial ch allenges as their tenants and have been forced to engaged in the eviction process as a last resort to recoup lost income. If it is the Committee’s decision to provide free counsel to tenants, then it must give the same rights to property owners. Providing universal right to council for both tenants and property owners is the only way to ensure a level playing field for both small property owners and tenants alike. With that, I want to thank the Chairs and Committee Members for allowing me to testify toda y.