News

By Kimberly Rau, MassLandlords Writer Rent control began in Massachusetts in the 1970s, and lasted until a ballot initiative repealed it across the state in 1994. Today, high rental housing costs have many interested in bringing back rent control. However, the reality of cost-controlled rent left many landlords unable to…

MassLandlords staff have completed a review of the Early Warning System (EWS) as applied to housing-related bills posted to MALegislature.gov. Since EWS went live September 29, 2019, we have received notice of 76 updates to housing bills. Excluding outliers, the average backdate was 1.7 business days, meaning material is published…

In December, we published the first of many eviction filing reports, battled COVID, opened and reopened elections, and set a course to expand services to Spanish-first members. Eviction data is being closely watched by the Trial Courts, renter nonprofits, and the administration. Although the Trial Courts are publishing data on…

By Eric Weld, MassLandlords, Inc. Predictions of an “eviction tsunami” in Massachusetts following the expiration of the state eviction moratorium in October have flooded media reports since early June. But data recently published by MassLandlords and the Massachusetts Trial Court show eviction case filings for the eight weeks ending December…

By Kimberly Rau, MassLandlords writer Any landlord in Massachusetts is probably somewhat familiar with its eviction laws. The state is clear about what’s considered lawful when it comes to handling an evicted tenant’s belongings: Even if they leave things behind, you may not simply put their possessions on the sidewalk…

By Eric Weld, MassLandlords, Inc. Renting to roommates can mean many different things, depending on your specific scenario. It can be a win-win situation if your tenant needs help with rent, there’s ample space, and you, as landlord, are involved throughout the process. But renting to roommates can also become…

By Eric Weld, MassLandlords, Inc. Landlords should beware of a potentially problematic legal gray area built into the language of the RAFT (Residential Assistance for Families in Transition) COVID $10,000 option. Despite statements from the Baker-Polito administration and our best efforts at clarification, we are unable to verify that the…

Each year in December we elect a member to the Board of Directors, and we also recognize a non-member with the MassLandlords Good Neighbor award. Our annual meeting this year will be conducted electronically only. The four event locations that would normally host in-person voting are closed. Electronic voting will…

By Kimberly Rau, MassLandlords writer Are you a landlord considering converting your apartments to condominiums? Maybe the eviction moratorium has stalled your business. Perhaps you’re just looking to get more money out of your rental property. Whatever the reason for considering “going condo,” a state law passed in 1983 by…

By Kimberly Rau, MassLandlords Writer Bartering for rent – that is, working out an arrangement in which a renter provides service on the property in exchange for a lower payment – is a frequent suggestion to both landlords and tenants. In theory, it seems like a great idea: You, as…