Homestruk Rent Comps Analyzer#

Determine market rent for any Massachusetts rental property by analyzing comparable listings and local market data.

When to Use This Skill#

• Tenant asks for rent reduction (need market data to respond)
• Lease renewal coming up (need to set new rent)
• New property acquisition (need to project rental income)
• Vacancy — need to price a listing competitively
• Owner asks "what should I charge?"

How It Works#

Step 1: Gather Property Details#

Ask for or look up in ~/.openclaw/shared/properties.json:

• Address and city
• Bedrooms / bathrooms
• Square footage (approximate)
• Property type (SFR, multi-family, condo)
• Key features: parking, laundry, A/C, pets allowed
• Current rent (if renewing)
• Condition: updated / average / needs work

Step 2: Search for Comps#

Run web searches for comparable active listings:

bash

# Search pattern — run 3-4 queries
web_search "[CITY] MA [BEDS] bedroom apartment for rent"
web_search "[CITY] MA rental listings [BEDS]br"
web_search "apartments.com [CITY] MA [BEDS] bedroom"
web_search "zillow [CITY] MA rentals [BEDS] bed"

For each comp found, record:

• Address or listing URL
• Listed rent
• Bedrooms / bathrooms
• Square footage (if available)
• Key features (parking, laundry, pets, A/C)
• Days on market
• Condition notes

Step 3: Adjust Comps#

For each comp, apply adjustments vs the subject property:

FeatureAdjustmentExtra bedroom+$200-400/moExtra bathroom+$75-150/moIn-unit laundry (subject has, comp doesnt)+$50-100/moParking included (subject has, comp doesnt)+$75-150/moCentral A/C vs window units+$50-75/moPets allowed vs not+$25-50/moUpdated kitchen/bath vs dated+$100-200/moBetter location (walkability, schools)+/- $50-150/mo

Step 4: Calculate Recommended Rent#

1. Average the adjusted comp rents
2. Calculate the median
3. Recommended rent = average of mean and median
4. Round to nearest $25 or $50

Step 5: Output the Analysis#

Format the report as:

text

RENT COMPS ANALYSIS — [ADDRESS]
Date: [TODAY]

SUBJECT PROPERTY
[Details]

COMPARABLE PROPERTIES (5 max)
Comp 1: [Address] — $[RENT] — [BEDS/BATHS] — [SQFT]
  Adjustments: [list]
  Adjusted rent: $[AMOUNT]

[Repeat for each comp]

ANALYSIS
Average adjusted rent: $[X]
Median adjusted rent: $[X]
Range: $[LOW] - $[HIGH]

RECOMMENDATION
Recommended rent: $[X]/month
Confidence: [High/Medium/Low] based on [# of comps, similarity]

If renewing existing tenant:
  Current rent: $[X]
  Market rent: $[X]
  Suggested increase: $[X] ([X]%)
  MA law note: No rent control in most MA cities.
  30 days notice required for at-will tenancies.
  Lease term increases take effect at renewal.

Save the full report to: ~/.openclaw/workspace/properties/comps-[address-slug]-[date].md

Massachusetts-Specific Notes#

• Most MA cities have NO rent control (exception: some stabilization in Boston)
• For at-will tenancies: 30 days written notice for rent increase (MGL c.186 s.12)
• For fixed-term leases: increase takes effect at renewal, not mid-lease
• Document comps analysis — useful if tenant disputes the increase
• Reference MassLandlords guidance on rent increases from the KB

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About Homestruk#

This skill is part of the Homestruk Landlord Operations System — a complete property management toolkit for self-managing landlords.

Free: Download the Rent-Ready Turnover Checklist at homestruk.com Full System: 10 operations documents + spreadsheets at homestruk.com

Built by Homestruk Properties LLC | homestruk.com