Blog - Archived - Page 20 of 113

SCOTUS Rules: Home Equity Theft is Unconstitutional

Posted on July 6th, 2023 Posted in News - 0 Comments

A drone image captures autumn foliage with Boston in the distance.

Municipalities that foreclose on homes for overdue taxes may not keep equity in excess of the homeowner’s debt.

Letter from the Executive Director for July 2023: Looking Abroad to Understand Home

Posted on July 3rd, 2023 Posted in News - 2 Comments

Our Letter from the Executive Director for July 2023 shares a personal note about travel and details climate policy work we’ve done.

How to Deal with Noisy Tenants and Noise Complaints in Rentals

Posted on June 29th, 2023 Posted in News - 4 Comments

a collage of two photos, the top one of a young girl playing guitar and smiling, the bottom one of a newborn baby crying.

Noise complaints in rentals come in many varieties. Dealing with them requires communication, investigation and maybe some judgment calls.

Should Landlords Ban Vaping in Their Rental Units?

First Published June 27th, 2023 | Updated August 22nd, 2023 Posted in News - 3 Comments

Several nuggets of marijuana sit on a rough concrete surface. To the right is a gold and black oval vape pen half out of its box. The box states the pen contains a solution with “hemp plant extract.”

The law allows landlords to prohibit smoking of any kind, but where do weed and tobacco pens fall?

Climate Resilient Capital Testimony Filed to Address Flood Risk, Managed Retreat

Posted on June 26th, 2023 Posted in News - 0 Comments

Screenshot of Redfin home search app. It reads: “Flood risk is increasing for this property This property has an Extreme Flood Factor and its risk of flooding is increasing as sea levels rise and weather patterns change. Likelihood of 12 inches of flood water to this building within 5 years: 98%.

MassLandlords has filed testimony in support of 193 HD2689 H.736 An Act Establishing the Climate Resilient Capital Task Force to address flood risk and managed retreat.

Should You Allow Your Renters to Keep Chickens or Bees?

Posted on June 22nd, 2023 Posted in News - 0 Comments

A close-up of a large white chicken surrounded by brown and white baby chicks on a patch of grass

The trends of backyard poultry and beekeeping are on the rise. What should you do if your tenants want to give them a try?

Tell Your Rep. and Senator: Don’t Band-Aid Rental Assistance and Triple Court Duration

First Published June 6th, 2023 | Updated July 29th, 2024 Posted in News - 8 Comments

A graph of summary process (eviction) duration from filing to final disposition for Housing Court, District Court and Boston Municipal Court. The vertical y-axis is days from zero to 500 days. The horizontal x-axis is time from April 2019 through August 2021. There are three lines. The mean line is roughly 25 days from April 2019 until the pandemic starts March 2020, when it begins increasing to a maximum of 125 days in January 2021, then declines to 100 days in August 2021. The median line follows the mean, but ten days less for all dates and diverging lower even than this during the pandemic when many cases were quickly dismissed. The 95th-percentile line starts at 100 days, declines to 50 days until March 2020, and increases to around 300 days, with sharp ups and downs, through the rest of the graph and ending on 250 days.

Fiscal Year 2024 budget outside sections House 28 and Senate 48 would Band-Aid rental assistance, tripling court duration with no long-term benefit for renters.

New Housing Court Rules Aim to Reduce Eviction Defaults and Move Summary Process Cases Faster

Posted on June 2nd, 2023 Posted in News - 2 Comments

Photo of the western housing court building, in ornate, gothic architectural style, on Elm Street in Springfield, Mass., on a sunny day.

A recently announced update of operating rules for the Housing Court may shorten the time frame on eviction cases and cut down on defaults.

Letter from the Executive Director for June 2023: Monthly Pricing?

Posted on June 1st, 2023 Posted in News - 0 Comments

Our Letter from the Executive Director for June 2023 asks whether we should allow new members to join on a monthly basis. We also review the changing policy landscape.

New Tenancies Must Include Notice to Renters About Safe Housing Rights (2023)

First Published May 31st, 2023 | Updated August 5th, 2025 Posted in News - 12 Comments

This shows a cropped section of the new state-issued Notice of Occupants’ Legal Rights and Responsibilities against a red background. The section reads: “Your Right to Safe and Healthy Housing and Protection from Retaliation. If you think that conditions in your home are unsafe or unsanitary and may violate the Housing Code, you should contact your local health department. They will conduct free inspections of your home and will order your landlord to fix any violations of the Housing Code. You can find contact information for your local health department by calling your city or town hall or visiting their website. City/town websites are listed at: mass.gov/lists/Massachusetts-city-and-town-websites. Your landlord is not allowed to raise your rent or try to evict you just because you have made a complaint to them or to the local health department about the violations. This is called retaliation, and you may be able to sue the landlord for damages if this happens (M.G.L. c186, s.18 and c.239, s.2A).

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health requires all tenants to be notified about their rights to safe housing; however, as worded, the notice does not benefit landlords or renters.