The Organization of Neglect: Landlords, LLCs, and Neighborhood Disinvestment
Location: Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies | One Bow Street, 4th Floor, Cambridge
Adam Travis, Doctoral Student in Sociology and Social Policy, Harvard University
Limited liability companies (LLCs) own an increasing share of rental properties in many urban areas. The LLC has become an attractive organizational tool for residential landlords in large part because it limits the exposure of investor assets to risks such as tenant injury lawsuits. In this presentation, Travis will discuss a project, funded in part by the Joint Center, exploring whether the liability protections afforded by LLC ownership reduce landlords' incentives to adequately maintain their properties. Findings suggest that housing disrepair increases when properties transition from individual to LLC ownership.
This talk is part of the Center’s ongoing Housing Research Seminar Series, which gives faculty, senior researchers, and graduate students the opportunity to present and discuss current and recent work with a mix of scholars and practitioners.
Watch the livestream video here.
