By Eric Weld, MassLandlords, Inc. Protecting your rentals from the potential destruction of cold temperatures, ice and snow and occasional high winds is a collaboration between landlords and tenants, and your renters’ winter responsibilities should be made clear before disaster strikes. There are several preventative steps you and your renters…

By Eric Weld, MassLandlords, Inc. ERMA, the state’s new Emergency Rental and Mortgage Assistance program, was created to help those whose housing in Massachusetts is endangered due to COVID-19 and its economic impacts. More than a month after the program’s launch, most of the ERMA funds are still available, according…

By Eric Weld, MassLandlords, Inc. Housing providers trying to claim unpaid rent during the eviction moratorium have few options. Housing courts are closed to most cases. The state eviction moratorium has been extended twice, most recently to October 17, and looks likely to be extended again to match the CDC…

Note that this October 2020 edition of the newsletter was written in early September to accommodate a short-term leave for one of the team, as well as to “reset” our publication to be ahead of the month for which it is named. By time of writing in September, three significant…

By Kimberly Rau, MassLandlords Writer The Massachusetts State Sanitary Code (otherwise known as 105 CMR 40) is pretty clear about what kitchen appliances are required for landlords to provide their tenants. “Every dwelling unit…shall contain suitable space to store, prepare and serve foods in a sanitary manner,” section 410.100 states.…

By Eric Weld, MassLandlords, Inc. An amicus brief filed by MassLandlords with the Superior Court, Suffolk County, in late July outlined the association’s legal argument on three points against the state’s eviction moratorium. The moratorium, signed into law by Governor Charlie Baker on April 20, was extended until October 17…

By Kimberly Rau, MassLandlords writer It’s no secret that some areas of Massachusetts, particularly Boston, are pricey places to rent or buy property. In fact, a recent study places Boston third on the list of the most expensive rental markets in the country (ranking behind San Francisco and New York…

In August we created half a dozen new chapters, reorganized a statewide message board, and had the first meeting of the Eviction Moratorium Individual Claims Council. The new chapters cover regions we had been holding open for preexisting local clubs. But as we look toward a policy future where state…