Boston City Council Announces “Bad Landlords” Working Session Nov. 23

The Boston City Council’s Government Operations Committee announced it will review President Liz Breadon’s “bad landlords list” ordinance at a work session on November 23 at 10am. The ordinance proposes a public listing of “scofflaws” determined by a point system including code violations, inclusion on the city’s Problem Property List, and failures to register rentals.…

Boston City Council President Liz Breadon (who represents Allston-Brighton) introduced a proposal for the city to publish a biannual “bad landlords list” of “scofflaws,” determined by a point system including code violations, inclusion on the city’s Problem Property List, and failures to register rentals. The City Council co-signed the proposal unanimously, referring it to the…

In a recent social media post, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell reminded renters of her office’s efforts to enforce restrictions on “illegal renters fees,” citing examples like lease renewal or roommate addition charges and recounting her office’s recent $500,000 settlement against a property management company for illegal fees. Campbell encouraged tenants to report such fees…

  On October 14, 2026, the City of Somerville’s Rental Housing Sale Notice requirement takes effect. Any owner of rental housing who intends to sell the property must notify the tenant and the city’s Office of Housing Stability (OHS) in writing (on a form to be provided by OHS) within 48 hours of listing the…

Recently, the MA Executive Office of Housing & Livable Communities (HLC) contacted GBREB requesting input on Affordable Homes Act Sec. 50, which requires HLC to establish a mechanism for allowing a fee in lieu of standard security deposits for rental housing if both the landlord and tenant agree to the alternative fee. GBREB provided proposed…