News

Judges know that technology could help make summary process (aka the eviction process) better for all concerned. Anyone who heard Housing Court Chief Justice Tim Sullivan at MassLandlords meetings in various parts of the Commonwealth over the past year or so will be aware that this is an issue close…

The Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 (aka “Trump Taxes”) allowed states to designate up to 25% of low-income census tracks as “opportunity zones.” Investments made in these zones and held for ten years are excluded from capital gains taxes. Investments sold to invest in these zones will have…

In Housing Court, most landlords have lawyers and most tenants do not. The reason is not that landlords want to spend money on lawyers (they don’t). Rather, people who own rental property through corporations or LLCs have no choice; they have to be represented by counsel, like it or not.…

In this article we review the 191st General Court’s version of H.3924-HD.1100, “An Act Enabling Local Options for Tenant Protections” also known as the “Tenant Protection Act,” for rent control and more. This bill, submitted by Representatives Michael Connolly and Nika Elugardo, has an additional 19 cosponsors. (Full text.) The…

Letter from the Executive Director for July 2019, discussing certification, rent control, and server upgrades supporting our early warning system. In June we continued work on our certification plan, started to oppose the Massachusetts rent control bill, and completed our server upgrades. Previously we announced that the Certified Massachusetts Landlord™…

MassLandlords is a 501(c)6 nonprofit with a mission to create better rental housing. We help new, current, and prospective members run profitable, compliant, quality businesses. We are democratically governed, and we need members in our community to step forward and help! Our Current Board of Directors We have five volunteers…

In May we developed our certification, wrote an amicus brief to defend rent escrow, wrote an op-ed to defend against right to counsel, and reflected on the short-term rental ban. Our plans for a Certified Massachusetts Landlord™ were presented to over 200 event participants. Overall feedback has been encouraging. Attendees…

MassLandlords members are now primarily concerned with opposing the return of rent control to Massachusetts. This policy proposal is currently receiving a higher score and more consensus than any other issue on the survey. Close behind rent control is opposition to right of first refusal and just cause eviction, and…

By Peter Vickery, Esq., Legislative Affairs Counsel Governor Charlie Baker named—and the Governor’s Council recently approved—two nominees for the Housing Court, both of them from Western Massachusetts. Jonathan J. Kane Associate Justice, Housing Court On May 1, 2019, the Governor’s Council confirmed Amherst resident Jonathan J. Kane for the position…