Howard McGowan

Malden/Medford Tenents United have been looking to protect not only tenants of the buildings owned by Hillside Urban Properties LLC managed by Alpha Management Inc but the City of Malden from their Shoddy handling of maintaining the apartments and harrarsement of present tenants during their takeover of sub par units and increasing rents unreasonably.

This article outlines what Boston is doing to protect students and Citizens in the Allston Area (Main operation of Hillside and Alpha)

We ask pro active operation here in the Malden Community

By Sarah N. Mattero, Globe Correspondent Accompanied by workers from several city departments, Mayor Thomas M. Menino  began the annual Student Turnover Campaign today with a walk-through of an  Allston neighborhood.

City officials covered the areas around Pratt, Gardner, and Linden streets  looking for illegal trash disposal, housing code violations, and to meet those  moving out in order to get a feel of what living conditions are like in their  buildings. Tens of thousands of students are arriving as the fall term begins at  local colleges.

“Those moving out are more likely to give us the real truth about what’s  going on the building,” said Bryan Glascock, acting commissioner for the city’s  Department of Inspectional Services.

Officials found problems, he said, at 45 Ashford St. Inspectors fielded  numerous complaints of pests from rodents to roaches to bedbugs. Walking through  the building, they uncovered more problems like spilled oil and asbestos.

“The Public Health Commission is now involved, and we taped off the area,” Glascock said. He said he hoped that the new residents would postpone moving in  and give the management company time to fix the issues.

“Tenants have rights. They do not have to accept sub-standard housing that  compromises their health and safety,” Glascock said.

Menino today also proposed changes to the city’s rental inspection ordinance,  saying the revised ordinance would provide “a fair, predictable, and proactive  system” of ensuring the health, safety, and maintenance of Boston’s rental  units.

Sarah N. Mattero can be reached at sarah.mattero@globe.com.