Letter from the Executive Director for February 2021: Lookup is Live

January was a busy month between website development, member services, and the dramatic finale of the 191st legislative session.

The key development in January was the release of MassLandlords.net/lookup. This new page allows any member of the public to verify whether a property owner or manager is a Certified Massachusetts Landlord™. Owners and managers can differentiate themselves, especially in soft markets like Greater Boston, at MassLandlords.net/certification. The first of three levels is available now.

Also released in January is the “calculate dues” button for new and renewing members. Presently the only calculation is not for dues but rather for chapter assignment. Later, after all three levels of certification are live, membership dues for full service including certification will vary by the size of the business.

The RentHelper spin-off service continues to serve as virtual office manager for 30 businesses. $1.4 million in rent was collected last year.

We have posted jobs for a Spanish language crash course instructor, content manager, and attorney to expand this service to new markets.

Our lobbying report, at time of writing not yet concluded, shows $40,000 spent on lobbying activity (per the Massachusetts definition) in the second half of last year.

January saw the end of the 191^st legislative session. Right of first refusal was released from committee unexpectedly at around 4:42am on Wednesday January 6. Within hours, we had been heard by between 4 and 8 thousand subscribers across a dozen channels. Although the Governor did not echo our reasons in his veto (we focused on extortion, he focused on housing production), he did veto the ludicrous, partisan measure. The bill is expected to be filed again. We will oppose it again, consistent with member direction.

Thank you for your support in our mission to create better rental housing.

Stay safe,
Douglas Quattrochi
Executive Director
MassLandlords, Inc.