Jamaica Plain Associates

If there were a zero star option, this would be the perfect time to use it. I am very frustrated that they used me during my first apartment search and sold me to the Smith brothers scam. Our apartment made me physically sick for a year and was definitely not safe to live in. The smith brother that’s still here (the other one ran away after burning houses down) would show up at 10 pm on a week night to collect his cash.
Never again.

I contacted Eric first by phone, and he seemed too busy to talk to me since I was out of state. We talked about showing me apts, but when I flew up to Boston, he said, sorry I’m going to the Cape, and told me to call Elaine, who showed me 4 – 5 places. Some of the houses were empty, but two were occupied and it was obvious she hadn’t called ahead to ask if she could show the place. One place said no, and another place only let me in after they (unsuccessfully) tried to get the weed smell out. Elaine was really nice in person.
None of those places worked out, and I later chose a different apt that I had only seen online. Elaine warned me it wasn’t in the best area — which proved true after 2 break-​ins (see Greater Boston Management review). I don’t really blame her for that because she warned me, although she did lie by saying it was JP when it was in Roxbury.
The real problem was getting the lease. Elaine’s husband Mark sent it to me on 8/​2, and I wanted to move 8/​14, so it was crunch time. She doesn’t do email/​attachments, so everything had to go through her husband, who doesn’t work for JP Associates and couldn’t respond to my questions. The lease had the wrong move in date, wrong rent, and said pets weren’t allowed when Elaine had already said it would be okay. I sent the questions back, and Elaine didn’t respond. We didn’t have a signed lease until a few days before move-​in, which was incredibly stressful.
When I got there, the apt looked beautiful from the inside and I noticed there were brand new windows and blinds. I soon realized why — there were bullet holes all along the side of my building! Elaine’s lie and poor customer service with the lease were disappointing.

I made the huge mistake of renting from JP Associates as well. I am still ashamed to admit I fell for the lies and unknowingly rented a Smith brother’s apartment. It has taken me years to feel safe enough to write this review (moving out of Boston helped with this).
I had to deal with some very bad people on a daily basis. I had to deal with no heat for 2 weeks in the heart of winter. I also had to deal with sick animals, insane bills just to get out of there, my bike stolen from the hallway, homeless drug adicts in my back yard (waiting for my landlord, Roger). Erik Mitkus is really not a good man, neither is Roger Smith nor any of the men (including Erik) who work for him.
In addition to all the other links referenced in the other Unilocal posts, I found this one helpful:
I hope my pain is someone else’s gain, that you see this and do not have to go through what I (and others) went through.

The very honest, real review I wrote of Erik Mitkus, JP Associates and their involvement with the Smith Brothers (notorious JP Slumlords and accused arsonists) was removed due to my accidental breaking of a Unilocal rule. I had written out both my experience and that of those I have met whom have also had terrible run ins with Erik, JP Associates and the Smith Brothers. In this review, I will only write of my experience and only quote news articles on the slumlords and JP Associates, the realtor who exclusively rents all of their (many) apartments. I will encourage those I have met along the way to please post their own stories since I can not be their voice here (I am sorry, I wish I could).
These people and this realtor’s office are hazardous. PLEASE google search before you even consider walking into this office. The JP Gazette, The Boston Globe, and Fox News have all covered stories on the true horrors of these people and the places they continue to rent. Too many people have fallen into the trap of JP Associates and The Smith Brothers, lost too much money and often much more. Be careful, I hope you do not go through what we did.
Wish I had seen the other Unilocal reviews before I went to Eric Mitkus and before I rented a Roger Smith and Douglas Smith slum. Please, do yourself a HUGE favor, and avoid this place at all costs. I lost over $ 4,000. in Realtor fees, 2 moves, veterinary bills for (previously healthy/​young) severely ill pets who got deathly after moving into this place, and a ton of trust. JP Associates (Erik) rents all Roger and Douglas Smith (well known JP arsonists and slumlords) apartments to unsuspecting people.
When looking for places, we randomly found JP Associates. We never would have expected the horrors which would ensue from this meeting. We found Eric a bit strange, he smoked cigarettes in his office each time we met, showed us multiple dumpy places (I found out later they were both Smith brothers’ buildings– one on Lamartine St, and I forget which the other was, there are so many). We had told him that we wanted a safe, clean place which would be good for pets and potentially kids so we were a little upset with the quality of the places he kept showing us. Finally, right as we were getting really fed up, he showed us a place that looked fine but needed some work. Saved the best for last, this place would become our hell. Naively we bit, rented the place under the condition that certain items be fixed, and moved in. After moving in we faced endless issues. We had been promised by Eric that many things would be done to the place that were never done (laundry was to be put in our unit prior to moving in– it never was. The old linoleum was supposed to have been replaced, it wasn’t. The cracked window that we were promised would be replaced before move in was not. The old moldy furniture left by the previous tenants that Erik had promised us would be removed from the yard never was). The place was not even cleaned pre-​move in as promised, we had to do it ourselves. And this is just the stuff in the beginning… and only ½ of it. It took a little while for us to realize exactly who we were dealing with and what the situation was. We had never heard of Roger Smith, Douglas Smith nor Eric nor all of their dirty dealings in JP real estate.
Roger would come to our place to ‘collect rent early’ only he would be obviously off his rocker stoned and fall up and down the stairs, he would ‘give a 10% discount’ if rent was paid early or in cash. He hired homeless drug addicts to do the cleaning of the apartments prior to renters moving in (and we had to deal with them being stoned, peeing in our yard and ‘cleaning’ the other unit in our building– yes, they had keys). If you think this is bad, you should hear the horror stories I have heard (and witnessed) from some of his other tenants (I have removed this part to be compliant with Unilocal but it is a long dirty laundry list).
These people have been in the news, the mayor (Menino) is trying to stop their dealings, there are many survivors. Please see links to news articles.
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I give Roger Smith and Erik Mitkus –49 999 999 999 999 995 805 696 stars (I can’t rate Douglas since he fled to Ireland when they tried to charge him with an arson attempt on one of his rentals in the 70s– bad news for a long time– google this one buddies).
My friends, I wish I could say this was slander but It is 100% truth and unfortunately I have paperwork, pictures, and many bills to prove it.
JP Associates/​Jamaica Plain Associates is bad news in my book.
The rent may seem ‘affordable’ but the outcome is not, do not risk it.

I wish I could give this place –230 198 704 5894t28976592487 stars, but really, it’s impossible. Let me tell you about this place. There’s a little someone there named Eric who is the biggest douchebag alive. This guy gets on people’s asses for reading the lease and actually «checking out» the place. Also, this girl that works there, Mia. She’s horrible, too. When I rented from them, Eric was a jerk about me actually reading the lease I was signing. (sorry, i’m a grown adult. i actually read legal documents). and I was told that Mia was our landlord… then I was told she was our property manager. and then finally told that she is our «Office Manager»… to an office that isn’t a walk-​in and that never returns calls.
This place rents out properties owned by the biggest slumlord of all: Roger Smith. Please Please Please trust me when I say DON’T DO IT!!! IT DOESN’T SEEM THAT BAD, BUT IT IS! YOU WILL HAVE TO GET THE CITY INVOLVED. Take it from me.