Boston’s “Most Infamous Landlord” Still Making Deals

Being named the city’s “most infamous landlord” by Boston Magazine has done little to deter Alpha Management’s activity in the area.

An affiliate of the company acquired a handful of properties in the Brighton area for a combined $36 million, Bisnow reported. The Mount Vernon Company sold the apartment buildings, located at 61-77 Brighton Avenue; 81, 83 and 87 Brighton Avenue; 6 Camelot Court; 110 Warren Street and 66 Chester Street.

The most notable aspect of the acquisitions is their proximity to several top universities in the neighborhood, including Boston College and Boston University. That will give Alpha the opportunity to take advantage of the constant demand for student housing.

There are more than 35 higher education institutions in the Greater Boston area, but not nearly enough housing for students to live on or even near campus, according to the Huntington News, leading to rent spikes near universities across the city.

Alpha declined to comment to the publication.

Founded by Anwar Faisal, Alpha often bills itself as one of the city’s biggest landlords for off-campus student housing, owning more than 140 properties and 2,000 units in the Greater Boston area.

In August, it acquired a 70-unit apartment complex in West Roxbury at auction for $29.5 million. The project, unfinished at the time, is close to West Roxbury VA Medical Center. And in 2023, it bought properties in Allston and Newton for $13.5 million and $11.2 million, respectively.

The activity came despite an investigation into the company as part of a series in the Boston Globe, which alleged the company did not adequately invest in its properties.

The controversies have only persisted, leading to a Boston Magazine piece in 2021 that alleged problems at Alpha buildings including roach infestations, mold and overflowing dumpsters. Residents at some of the company’s properties began forming tenants unions to collectively fight for better conditions.

— Holden Walter-Warner