Slow Market? Becoming a Certified Massachusetts Landlord™ Can Attract Better Applicants.

MassLandlords’ certification program can set you apart from other housing providers, allowing your rentals to stand out in a slow or stagnant housing market. Becoming a Certified Massachusetts Landlord™ is free for members, and lets your applicants know they’re renting from the best.

In a slow rental market, being a Certified Massachusetts Landlord™ can set you apart from the rest. (Image License: cc BY-SA 4.0 MassLandlords, Inc.)

What Is a Certified Massachusetts Landlord™?

There is no Massachusetts-specific designation for housing providers committed to running compliant, quality rental businesses. So we created one. Certification through our voluntary program is a promise to yourself and your renters that you will adhere to high standards, best practices and the law.

It’s not just talk: Renters can confirm their landlords’ certification status in our database. They can also report non-compliant activities. You can lose your certification status if you do not adhere to the standards you agreed to.

Because of this, becoming a Certified Massachusetts Landlord™ is one of the best ways to set your rental business apart from the rest. A quality landlord should attract quality renters.

There are three levels of certification. You can get started today.

cML Level One™: Commitment to Best Practices

The first level of certification is a provisional designation. It’s where you commit to following best practices and rental housing law in Massachusetts.

Whether you are brand new to rental housing, somewhat inexperienced or very experienced, everyone starts at cML Level One™. For new landlords, it’s a great starting point and a chance to start learning (we also recommend you attend our crash course in landlording). For longtime housing providers, this is your opportunity to brush up on your knowledge before moving on to the next level.

The cML Level One™ status is provisional for one year. By the end that year, you must pass a test to gain cML Level Two™ status and maintain certification.

cML Level Two™: Pass the Test

A cML Level Two™ landlord achieves that status after passing an in-depth, challenging test designed to check your knowledge of rental housing law and best practices across the board.

If you pass the test, you have demonstrated that you understand how to be a superior landlord. You understand the law, and are still committed to the best practices you promised to adhere to in Level One.

cML Level Three™: Continue Learning

Rental laws and policy in Massachusetts change often. For example, consider how many times the RAFT cap has changed for rental assistance. There’s nothing worse than believing you are an expert while operating with out-of-date information. It would be like learning about computers using an encyclopedia from 1985. The basics may be there, but that’s not enough if you want to learn how to get online.

To prevent this, this third level is designed so that no matter when you took the cML Level Two™ test, your knowledge base will stay current.

A cML Level Three™ designation is for landlords who are committed to keeping on top of rental laws and housing policy, as well as best practices. To do so, you must obtain 10 hours of continuing education credits over a 12-month period. Many of our events qualify toward that goal.

Conclusion

Our hope is that many landlords throughout the state will join us and complete the certification program. If that happened, rental housing would certainly improve for many more people.

Becoming a Certified Massachusetts Landlord™ means you can set yourself apart from everyone else holding an open house in your city by letting your renters know they’re getting one of the best landlords in the business.

Already certified? Order your Certified Massachusetts Landlord™ flyer today to let your tenants know you are a high-quality landlord. They can even check your certification status in real time.