Thousands of Massachusetts residents gained a new online tool in the search for stable housing as a law took effect allowing eligible tenants to have their past eviction records sealed. The new law is intended to remove a major barrier to housing stability. Eviction...
Cambridge human rights officials urged professionals in the real estate industry to avoid disadvantaging rental applicants with government vouchers in a webinar Tuesday, telling The Crimson in interviews after the event that the city is seeing “a rise in complaints”...
As of 2025, Massachusetts does not have a statewide limit on how much landlords can raise rent. Landlords are legally allowed to increase rent by any amount and as often as they wish, provided they follow proper notification procedures and do not discriminate or...
Renting in Massachusetts comes with a shared responsibility: the tenant agrees to pay rent on time, and the landlord agrees to provide a safe, habitable living environment. It sounds simple, but in reality, not all landlords uphold their end of the deal. When basic...
Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell is advocating for tenants' rights in Massachusetts by challenging what she views as unfair lease terms. In an amicus brief for the case Peebles v. JRK Property Holdings, Inc., AG Campbell urged the Supreme Judicial Court to address...
Starting in May 2025, Massachusetts renters can ask the state to seal their eviction records. Governor Maura Healey signed the law on Aug. 6, but it doesn’t go into effect until next spring. Critics contend it will remove an important tool many landlords use to screen...
A ProPublica investigation found that rents in buildings that use RealPage’s AIRM software (formerly YieldStar) rose dramatically in some markets across the nation. The US Justice Department and attorneys general in eight states are suing a popular AI-enabled property...
Massachusetts landlords often wonder what questions they cannot legally ask on a rental application. Selecting tenants for residential rentals can leave landlords feeling as if they are giving their fate to the luck of the draw. But, asking good questions on a rental...
In January 2024 the state Attorney General's office sued the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) over its treatment of a family with two girls with asthma and developmental issues, charging the authority ignored repeated complaints for three years about the unsanitary...
The rapid increase in rents across the United States has recently become a pressing issue. Many states are turning to rent control laws as a solution to manage these soaring costs. However, the situation in Massachusetts, particularly in its bustling metropolitan...