Tenants allege abrupt shutdown, lease terminations at Mason on Chestnut

Residents of the Mason on Chestnut alleged that the building locked its doors on April 7 after building management issued lease termination notices.

An April 1 lease termination notice acquired by The Daily Pennsylvanian instructed tenants to “vacate and relinquish possession” of the Mason by the end of the month. Three days later, a "Closed for Business" sign appeared on the building's front door.

Located at 3701 Chestnut St., the Mason has served as an off-campus housing option for Penn students and faced resident dissatisfaction since 2020. 

The Department of Licenses and Inspections has cited the property for 131 city code violations over its history, including 74 that remain open. However, an agency spokesperson wrote in a statement to the DP that there are currently “no pending enforcement actions” against The Mason and that the existing violations do “not require a shutdown of operations.”

The Mason's management did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Mason resident Katherine Dow — who previously spoke to the DP about living conditions at the Mason — said that shortly after the notices and posted signs, the Mason locked its doors. The Mason's management told Dow that the city had closed the building down, she said. 

Dow told the DP that she did not receive a termination notice, emphasizing that some residents were unaware of them until word spread around the building.

However, when Dow called Pennsylvania state Rep. Rick Krajewski (D-Philadelphia) — who represents the area that the Mason is located in — his office told her they had no knowledge of the city shutting down the Mason. Philly311, the city's non-emergency contact center, told Dow the same thing. 

A request for comment was left with Krajewski's office. 

Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier — whose district houses the Mason — wrote in a statement to the DP that it was “outrageous” of CSC, the company that owns the Mason, to “unilaterally decided to shut down the Mason.” 

“CSC is forcing their tenants out of their homes,” Gauthier wrote. “The rental code exists to protect tenants from unsafe conditions. If CSC can’t comply with it, they have no business being a landlord.”

Gauthier also stated that the lease termination letters sent out to Mason tenants were “not a legal eviction” and urged residents to stay in place. She warned residents that "if they decide to move out, they will forfeit eviction protections they are entitled to by law."

Gauthier also wrote that CSC should provide “rapid and comprehensive financial relocation assistance to displaced tenants,” including “fully covering moving expenses, subsidizing rent for the duration of a tenant’s lease, and reimbursing security deposits.”

The DP had previously reported that Mason residents were frustrated by the building management's lack of communication and repeated failure to return their security deposits.