Rent Control 2026: The Unconstitutional Ballot Initiative That Could Cost You Dearly

By Kimberly Rau, MassLandlords, Inc.

Rent control advocates have been gathering signatures for a November 2026 ballot initiative that could bring rent control back to Massachusetts. The cutoff to submit signatures lined up exactly with our print deadline, but supporters claim to have gathered more than enough signatures to get rent control in front of voters next year.

The proposed ballot question on rent control benefits developers and corporate landlords, and hurts everyone else. (Image: Lic cc BY-SA 4.0 MassLandlords, Inc.)

As it is written, the ballot initiative is unconstitutional and we plan to challenge it on those grounds. If we do, it could mean the end of rent control forever.

However, in the event the question makes it onto the ballot, vital information has been left out of the ballot text on purpose, including the fact that the initiative removes landlords’ rights to compensation under the law. Voters may not understand the impact of their decision if they vote “yes,” especially if they aren’t landlords.

We’ve broken down the entire text of the ballot question and translated it into plain language, so you as a landlord know exactly what rent control proponents want to do. It’s not good. It hurts small landlords and benefits developers, which advocates don’t want you to know. (City Life/Vida Urbana is running ads saying rent control will stop greedy corporate landlords, but actually, that’s exactly who this initiative will help the most.)

We will make similar explainers for renters and people concerned with municipal funding, if necessary.

Visit our website to read the entire ballot question explainer, parsed in non-legislative language. Share it with your renters, colleagues and anyone who might be on the fence about rent control. You can also share our website rentcontrolhistory.com which shows, in detail, how rent control helped some people, but hurt everyone else, the last time we had it in Massachusetts.