even this is part of their business model. because of their locations & price points these companies are largely trying to target tenants who are very young and/or very under-resourced - thus people who either don’t know the law, can’t afford a lawyer, or are transient students who will give up on any standing conflicts in disgust when it’s time for them to leave the area. they figure for any successful tenant lawsuit, there’ll be twelve more tenants successfully fleeced. unfortunately they’re right.

New Haven housing code enforcement, meanwhile, has been defanged to a comedic degree that seems like it almost has to be deliberate, and they don’t or won’t do shit about it. evidently every time they do try to crack down on these companies, they just threaten to pull out of the city entirely, which at this point would be a logistical disaster, & the authorities basically slink off with their tail between their legs & look the other way for another decade. it’s a pathetic mess.