Massachusetts rental housing bills

What it would do: Repeals Chapter 40P and creates Chapter 49B, allowing Massachusetts cities and towns to adopt local rent control limiting annual increases to the lower of Consumer Price Index or 5 percent, and requiring just cause for evictions.

What it would do: Authorizes the City of Attleboro to establish a board to oversee use and occupancy payments for manufactured housing parks, regulate minimum standards, and adjust payments to ensure fair net operating income, with violations punishable by fines up to $5000.

What it would do: Restricts upfront rental housing fees to first month's rent, last month's rent, security deposit equal to first month's rent, and key/lock costs. Prohibits additional fees for lease renewal, amenity fees, and attorney's fees without judgment; establishes treble damages for violations. Also addresses housing production through zoning and public land disposition.

What it would do: Prohibits real estate lessors and service providers from using algorithmic coordination to recommend rental prices or facilitate non-compete agreements among landlords for residential dwelling units. Violations constitute unfair competition under state law with penalties including damages, attorney fees, and voids predispute arbitration agreements.

What it would do: Prohibits landlords from using consumer reports for tenant screening if an applicant or tenant has a government rent subsidy, except when required by law. Requires landlords to consider alternative evidence of ability to pay rent and prohibits retaliation against tenants asserting these rights.

What it would do: Prohibits landlords and lessors in Massachusetts from using algorithmic devices or coordinators to set rent amounts, determine rent increases, or set occupancy levels for residential dwelling units. Violations constitute unfair trade practice violations with penalties up to $5,000 per violation.

What it would do: Creates a 5-member manufactured housing commission to resolve disputes between residents and owners, establishes a local option rent control board for cities and towns to regulate manufactured housing rents capped at the Chained Consumer Price Index, and grants homeowners a right of first refusal to purchase their community when it is sold.

What it would do: Requires short-term rental buildings to be inspected for compliant smoke and carbon monoxide detectors within one year before renting, with inspection fees capped at $100 per unit or $500 for buildings with 6+ units. Requires rental agents and platforms to confirm compliance before listing units.

What it would do: Authorizes the City of Somerville to regulate residential rent through ordinance, capping annual increases at the consumer price index plus 2 percent or 5 percent maximum, and requires property owners to establish just cause for eviction.

What it would do: Authorizes the Town of Brookline to adopt bylaws establishing rent stabilization for multi-family housing with annual increases capped at the lower of consumer price index plus three percent or seven percent, and to require just cause for evictions.

What it would do: Allows Massachusetts municipalities to adopt a local option giving tenants a right of first refusal to purchase rental properties during sales, short-sales, foreclosures, and deed-in-lieu transactions, with specific notice, timing, and affordability requirements.

What it would do: Requires the executive office of housing and livable communities to establish and maintain pet ownership programs in state-aided public housing for elderly and other residents, prohibiting outright dog bans and breed discrimination, while allowing reasonable requirements like deposits up to $160 or one month's rent and spay/neuter policies.

What it would do: Requires tenants to immediately notify landlords of bed bugs and comply with extermination protocols, and requires landlords to commence extermination within 5 business days and perform all necessary treatments until infestation is resolved.

What it would do: Limits upfront tenant fees to first month's rent, last month's rent, security deposit, and key/lock costs. Prohibits holdover fees, lease renewal fees, security deposit increases, most additional fees, and electronic payment mandates, with treble damages for violations.

What it would do: Requires the executive office of housing and liveable communities to establish an annual education and training program for new and existing mobile home rent control board members, offered free of charge in multiple locations and online, in consultation with the Massachusetts Municipal Association.

What it would do: This is a report submitted by the Massachusetts Trial Court Executive Office documenting summary process eviction statistics from January 2025 through September 2026, including filings, default judgments, executions, continuances, stays, mediations, and legal representation data.

What it would do: Amends Chapter 40P to allow municipalities to locally adopt tenant protections including rent stabilization, just cause eviction requirements, condominium conversion regulations, and restrictions on deposits and broker fees, with exemptions for owner-occupied buildings with three or fewer units and recently constructed housing.

What it would do: Authorizes Salem to impose a community impact fee on short-term rentals up to 6 percent of rent per occupancy. Revenue from the 3 percentage point increase above the current 3 percent rate funds school and municipal facilities.

What it would do: This is a report submitted by the Massachusetts Trial Court Executive Office documenting summary process eviction statistics from January 2025 through June 2026, including filings, default judgments, executions, continuances, stays, mediation participation, and legal representation data.

What it would do: Unable to determine bill substance. The provided text appears to be numerical data and dates rather than legislative language describing what the bill requires, prohibits, or creates.

What it would do: This document is a monthly report from the Executive Office of the Trial Court containing data on filings, actions, and dispositions of summary process cases related to permanent rental protections, presented in tabular format with statistics across multiple months.

What it would do: Limits annual rent increases for most residential dwelling units to the lower of the annual Consumer Price Index increase or 5%, using January 31, 2026 as the base rent date, with exemptions for owner-occupied buildings with four or fewer units, publicly regulated units, and newly constructed units under 10 years old.

What it would do: Prohibits licensed real estate brokers and landlords in Northampton from demanding or receiving any payment, fee, or commission from tenants or prospective tenants for rental services. Violations constitute unfair or deceptive practices under state law, with fines up to $1,000 per violation.

What it would do: Establishes a Housing First and Housing for All Fund financed by a 0.25 percent annual gross receipts tax on business entities with over $50,000,000 in receipts, with revenues used for homelessness prevention, affordable housing programs, and related supportive services.