230 Boston.com readers reported their cheapest rents in Boston, spanning from $75 to over $2,300. Examples include $250 for a one-bedroom in Brookline in the early 1980s and $412 to split a four-bedroom in South Boston from 2010–2013 that may not have been up to code or registered. Responses mentioned rent-controlled units, basement bargains, and a 'landlord lottery' yielding sub-$1,000 one-bedrooms. The responses coincide with Boston's annual September 1 move-in turnover when thousands of leases change, highlighting how rent affordability has deteriorated as prices rank among the nation's highest.
One reader recalled paying just $250 a month for a 1-bedroom in Brookline in the early 1980s. Another said they paid $412 to split a four-bedroom in South Boston from 2010 through 2013 that may or may not have been up to code - "and definitely not a registered apartment." There were tales of rent-controlled units, basement bargains, and what one reader called "the landlord lottery," or, a one-bedroom for under $1,000.
Responses have been lightly edited for grammar and clarity. What's the lowest rent you've ever paid in Boston - and when was it? Of course, many were quick to note that those days are long gone. With Boston rent prices among the highest in the country - and thousands of leases set to turn over on September 1 - these memories serve as a reminder of just how much the market has changed.
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