No Vacancy

Published
June 13, 2018

Maine’s rental market among nation’s least affordable, report says

A housing coalition's annual report places Maine 9th among states where there's a big gap between what a typical renter earns and what is needed to comfortably afford a 2-bedroom apartment.
Published
November 15, 2015

Portlanders, tell us about your neighborhood

We'll be using some reader responses for part 2 of our No Vacancy series - coming soon.
Published
November 15, 2015

No Vacancy: Landlords capitalize on ‘insane’ market

They’re charging more, screening tightly to find the best tenants, and upgrading – or sometimes neglecting – their properties. Some ask for first and last month’s rent plus the deposit, which can mean forking over more than $4,700 upfront.
Published
November 15, 2015

Some buildings neglected as city attempts to strengthen enforcement of housing codes

Philip Austin says the four-bedroom apartment he shares with his family at 31 Oxford St. in East Bayside is frequently in need of repair and has mold in the ceiling. But landlord Clark Stephens says he wasn’t aware of any mold problems. “I try to stay on top of everything in the building,” he said. […]
Published
November 15, 2015

Pain and joy of development: Renovation leaves tenant homeless, while couple builds dream condo on Munjoy Hill

Susan Morris and Chip Newell prepare to entertain on the deck of their Munjoy Hill condominium, with the Portland Observatory in the background at center. Newell, 68, and Morris, 55, are the developers behind 118 on Munjoy Hill, the luxury condominiums built on Congress Street at the crest of the Hill. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/ Staff […]

Published
November 15, 2015

A list of lists praising Portland

Photo by Bill Lord/Maine HDTV T he secret got out sometime about a decade ago, it seems, and the rest of the world is now well aware that life is good in Portland, Maine. Here’s a sampling of the wide variety of “Best of” lists that have featured Portland and helped make the city a […]
Published
November 15, 2015

On Munjoy Hill, a lot of newcomers,
but still a sense of community

‘The Hill’ was once a low-income domain viewed as a place to avoid, but a change in perception has turned it into an in-demand – and costly – place to live.
Published
November 15, 2015

Super-tight apartment market torments renters, redefines parts of city

A deep look into the extreme conditions and soaring prices reveals the human and financial trauma and the confluence of social trends that caused it.
Published
November 15, 2015

Run-down buildings get renovations that could change Bayside neighborhood

Story by Tux Turkel/ Staff Writer Photos by Whitney Hayward/ Staff Photographer C randall Toothaker motioned to the back corner of a building at Cumberland Avenue and Wilmot Street. Tenants told him they regularly saw drugs being sold there. It’s across from where he once opened a storage shed and startled a man injecting heroin […]
Published
November 15, 2015

Landlord’s perspective: Raising prices is fair, but renters should get their money’s worth

Mike Drinan stands outside one of his South Portland apartment buildings. Drinan, who lives in Cape Elizabeth, owns several apartment buildings in Portland and South Portland, and his company manages house, condominium and apartment rentals for other property owners. “This business isn’t for the faint of heart,” he said. “You have to make sure everything […]