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H1557 • 2025

An Act creating an office of tenant protections

An Act creating an office of tenant protections

Housing
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Reid, Sean
Last action
2026-04-13
Official status
Accompanied a study order, see H5352 (under House Rule 27)
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act creating an office of tenant protections

An Act creating an office of tenant protections By Representatives Reid of Lynn and Gómez of Easthampton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act creating an office of tenant protections By Representatives Reid of Lynn and Gómez of Easthampton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 1557) of Sean Reid, Homar Gómez and Tara T.
  • Hong for legislation to create an office of tenant protections in the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.
  • Housing.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 House

    Accompanied a study order, see H5352 (under House Rule 27)

  2. 2025-11-07 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 11/19/2025 from 11:00 AM-05:00 PM in Gardner Auditorium

  3. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Housing

  4. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

  5. House

    Reported by committee to Clerk’s Office for processing, will accompany a study order

Official Summary Text

An Act creating an office of tenant protections
By Representatives Reid of Lynn and Gómez of Easthampton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1557) of Sean Reid, Homar Gómez and Tara T. Hong for legislation to create an office of tenant protections in the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. Housing.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
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Bill H.1557

Section 1. Chapter 23B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting the following section:-

Section 31. There shall be within the executive office of housing and livable communities an office of tenant protections. The secretary of housing and livable communities shall appoint a director of the office who shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary.

(a) The office shall:

(1) enforce, concurrent with the commissioner of public health and local boards of health, the minimum standards of fitness for human habitation as defined by 105 CMR 410.000 (State Sanitary Code, Chapter II);

(2) have the powers necessary to enforce the standards set forth in paragraph (1) including:

(i) the power to inspect residences as defined by 105 CMR 410.010,

(ii) the power to issue and serve orders of noncompliance with the minimum standards of fitness for human habitation,

(iii) the power to hold hearings on the orders mentioned in clause (ii),

(iv) the power to issue fines for violations 105 CMR 410.000 in accordance with 105 CMR 400.700

(3) enforce compliance with 940 CMR 3.17

(b) Final decisions on noncompliance shall be subject to judicial appeal in the same manner as those made by boards of health under 105 CMR 400.600.

(c) The executive office of housing and livable communities shall promulgate regulations or guidance to carry out this section.

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