Placed among the couches, mattresses and trash that littered the lawns of Allston homes Wednesday was a yellow city of Boston envelopes that read “VIOLATION.”
The citations were part of an annual effort by Mayor Thomas Menino, along with the city Inspectional Services Department, to crack down on careless landlords as students and young professionals play musical apartments.
But as city officials toured what they called “pigsties,” landlords said they are unfairly blamed for runaway tenants who leave trash and furniture behind.
“There are a lot of landlords in this area that do not come by,” said Kevin Watters, owner of 45 Pratt St., one of the places Menino called a pigsty. “I’m here on a daily basis.”
