Is There Rent Control in Massachusetts?

“Rent regulation” generally refers to laws passed by cities or states that, for certain qualified housing, limits the amount of rent a landlord can charge. These days, Massachusetts has no rent regulation laws. You won't be able to find a rent-controlled apartment in Boston or any other city in the state.

Was it always this way?

Actually, no. For many years, the state allowed localities to enact their own rent regulation laws. Three cities did so: Boston, Cambridge, and Brookline. In 1994, however, the state passed the so-called “Massachusetts Rent Control Prohibition Initiative” by way of an extremely narrow referendum vote. Upon passage, the initiative—also known as Question 9—inserted a broad ban on rent control in any form into Massachusetts law. The rent-controlled apartments in Boston and its suburbs were wiped from the books after a grace period of six months.

Fast forward to today, and rents in Boston are currently among the highest in the country. Median home prices in Boston are up a whopping 55% since 2005. In places like Jamaica Plain and South Boston, the rents have increased as much as 80% according to research from Northeastern. Recent campaigns to make another change to rent control laws in Massachusetts have failed.

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