This afternoon the Boston Zoning Commission unanimously approved a new regulation limiting the number of student occupying an apartment to no more than four.

The Boston Globe reports the decision, which was heavily endorsed by Mayor Menino, as a measure to regulate loud parties in neighborhoods such as Allston and Mission Hill. The commission further claims the move as an answer to priced out working class and middle-class families who’ve been forced out of neighborhoods by landlords that turn single and two-family homes into high-rent, multi bedroom apartments to accommodate large numbers of students. But mostly though, it's about the parties [sic].

In an overcrowded, tense room, a faction of realtor's, students, lawyers and landlords argued the act as an unenforceable law that will create a housing shortage driving up already pricey rental costs. Whatever the case, both parties can agree that, come this summer, the already tenuous process of finding a decent apartment will only become more strenuous and complicated (thus Miller Time inducing.)

Image of Allston apartment from daviddesign from Creative Commons Flickr.