This bill requires safety inspections for buildings or structures used as short-term rentals in Massachusetts, such as properties rented on platforms like Airbnb. It directly affects property owners and managers who operate short-term rental units. The key provision mandates that these properties undergo regular inspections to ensure compliance with safety standards, including structural integrity and fire safety. The bill aims to protect tenants and residents by preventing unsafe conditions in short-term rental properties.
HD 158 limits how far in advance landlords can require new lease signings. It prohibits landlords or their agents from asking tenants to sign a lease more than three months before their current lease ends. This directly affects renters in residential properties by preventing long-term binding agreements before their current term concludes. The key provision enforces a clear 90-day maximum window for signing new leases, giving renters more flexibility and control over their housing contracts.
HD 2365 establishes a Tenant Fire Safety Trust Fund to support fire safety programs for landlords and renters in multi-unit housing. It requires landlords to install and maintain fire safety devices (like smoke detectors) and provides tax deductions for these installations under state law. The bill also mandates that landlords displaced by fire provide renters with resources and insurance details, while requiring certificates of occupancy and fire inspections before new rentals in multi-unit buildings. Violations incur daily fines (up to $20/day) or escalating penalties, with 50% of collected fines funding local inspections and the Trust Fund. This directly affects landlords, property managers, and renters in Massachusetts residential properties.
By Representative Galvin of Canton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 374) of William C. Galvin relative to tenant agents. Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure.
This bill requires utility companies (gas or electric) to notify landlords when tenants fall behind on payments or when service termination is planned. Landlords who provide written notice that their property is a rental, include a valid mailing address, and request notifications must receive written notice within 14 days of delinquent charges or 14 days before a service termination. The bill applies only to landlords who proactively opt-in by submitting the required written information. It does not change utility shutoff policies but mandates specific notification procedures to landlords for rental properties.
HD 829 protects eligible tenants (65+ or disabled, or with income at or below 80% of area median income) by allowing them to terminate leases early without penalty when moving to qualifying housing. Tenants must provide 30 days' written notice to landlords and can move to housing like nursing homes, public housing, or low-income developments without liability for the remaining lease term. Landlords cannot refuse rentals or housing assistance based on this termination, and lease clauses attempting to block this right are void. The law directly affects these specific tenant groups and their landlords, creating a clear mechanism for lease flexibility.
This bill creates a legal presumption that smoking occurred in non-smoking rental units if smoke detectors are removed, covered, or without power - unless the tenant proves otherwise through a third-party inspection. It directly affects landlords and tenants in properties with written no-smoking policies, requiring landlords to maintain working detectors and providing tenants a process to challenge false accusations. Key mechanisms include mandating municipal inspections within 3 business days (with a fee), allowing landlords to prove detector presence via photos or signed inventories, and awarding attorney fees to winning parties. The law explicitly prevents such cases from being treated as nonpayment disputes and protects tenants harmed by detector removal.
HD 1713 (An Act regularizing water rates for tenants) clarifies how water costs are billed in buildings with submeters. It requires landlords to calculate tenant bills by multiplying each tenant’s individual water usage by the municipal rate, rather than basing it on the entire building’s total usage. The bill also explicitly states that landlords must cover any additional water costs resulting from municipal rate increases tied to the building’s overall water consumption. This directly affects tenants in multi-unit buildings with submeters and their landlords. The law ensures tenants pay only for their individual usage and shields them from rate hikes caused by the building’s total water demand.
This bill establishes clear requirements for addressing pest infestations in rental housing. Tenants must provide written notice of infestations and allow landlords or licensed pest control professionals access (with 24-hour notice) to inspect and treat the unit. Landlords must inspect within 5 business days of notice, hire a certified pest control professional within 10 days, and complete treatments until the infestation is controlled, with a final inspection required 30 days after treatment. Landlords cannot be held liable for infestations if they comply with these steps, and they must verify units are pest-free before leasing new tenants.
HD 2932 creates a "whole home repairs program" to help homeowners and small landlords with essential home repairs. Homeowners with income at or below 80% of the area median income can receive grants (up to $50,000 per unit) for health/safety repairs, energy efficiency improvements, or accessibility modifications. Small landlords (owning ≤5 properties/15 units) can get loans (also capped at $50,000 per unit) for similar repairs on affordable rental units, with loan forgiveness possible if they maintain the property for 15 years, limit rent increases, and avoid serious violations. The program requires coordination with existing housing resources and includes funding for workforce development in home repair jobs.
