Letter from the Executive Director for August 2025: Politics, Ugh

July should have been a slow month on Beacon Hill. It usually is as people take time off to enjoy the mid-summer sun. Instead, July 2025 was oddly busy with a broker fee policy change and legislative hearings, both rare and unwelcome summer events.

The so-called broker fee ban is discussed extensively in this edition. It does very little, except to Zillow, whose whole model is no longer compliant (if it ever was).

It has also impacted my schedule, as I had to field calls from reporters who took the Governor’s spurious press release at face value (“banning renter-paid broker fees”). I’m happy to talk to any reporter; I wish I were called more. But what the Governor said is simply not what the text said, nor what the bill did.

Landlord-required broker fees were already illegal. And any landlord not in compliance under the new wording can get in compliance by raising the rent to make the renter pay the fee over time. A renter can hire a broker on their own and pay the fee. Renters are still paying fees. Period.

Broker fees weren’t even the largest story related to this budget. The broker fee change seems to be a decoy policy for a state budget rendered less certain than at any time in modern history because of federal funding cuts leveled directly at Massachusetts and our institutions. Section 8, international students, and public housing utility upgrades are all on the chopping block. I wouldn’t be surprised if we had to re-budget some months from now, mid-fiscal year. This is a time when our governor should be rallying support for Massachusetts, a financial and intellectual engine of the United States economy. Instead, her administration whipped up a media frenzy over an illegal thing we’ve made illegal once again. I mean, really! Is this what we’re paying for? Shameful.

Another unwelcome policy thing to happen in July is the scheduling of two bill hearings. Normally people try to take time off to enjoy our preciously short New England summer, especially with kids, nephews and others off from school. Instead, under new rules ostensibly intended to increase transparency, hearings have been scheduled for July, while everyone is on vacation. Personally, it looks to me like an attempt to undercut the auditor’s lawful demand to audit the legislature. “Look, we’ve changed!” Uh-huh, right.

You can see the frenzy of bills we have to contend with this session on our policy page.

Fortunately, you can pay us to do all this objectionable work. Please join as a member, encourage others to join, become a property rights supporter or increase your level of support.

Sincerely,

Doug

Executive Director

MassLandlords, Inc.