Rent Stabilization

Full title: An Act enabling cities and towns to stabilize rents and protect tenants (H.2328 / S.1447)

Lead Sponsors: Rep. Dave Rogers & Rep. Sam Montaño; Sen. Pat Jehlen & Sen. Adam Gomez

Committee: Joint Committee on Municipalities & Regional Government

The Issue

Massachusetts is in a severe affordable housing crisis, and rents are only increasing. Our friends and neighbors are fleeing the state for more affordable ones. Unaffordable rents are not a new problem for us, yet our local governments are limited in their ability to respond. Rent control was repealed in 1994, which led to a spike in evictions and a steady march to higher and higher rents.

Boston and much of eastern Massachusetts continues to top the charts of most expensive rental markets in the United States. Central and Western Massachusetts are not exempt from the continual increase in rents and general housing costs.

The Solution

We need to once again empower our cities and towns to pass rent control and address the displacement crises they are experiencing. Under this bill, a city or town can impose a limit on annual rent increases and a ban on no-cause evictions. Rent increases would be limited to the rate of inflation, capped at 5%. For example, the rate of inflation in 2024 was 2.9%, making that the maximum increase if this policy were in effect.

Banning no-cause evictions ensures that unscrupulous landlords can’t clear out buildings to evade the limits on rent increases. Acceptable grounds for eviction would include nonpayment of rent, substantial violation of the lease and/or damage, and refusal to accept a legal rent increase.

The bill allows for certain exemptions, including owner-occupied buildings under 4 units, college/university dormitories, and buildings with recent residential certifications of occupancy (a 5-year exemption).