Boston, MA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Section 16-57, enacted by Ord. 2011 c. 10, lets Boston's Mayor's Problem Properties Task Force designate a rental a 'problem property', and therefore a public nuisance, on any of three triggers within a 12-month window: four or more Boston Police Department calls for a criminal offense (disturbing the peace, trespassing, underage drinking, assault, and similar), four or more sustained noise complaints to the Air Pollution Control Commission, or four or more sustained and upheld complaints to the Inspectional Services Department or Public Health Commission for noxious, noisome, or unsanitary conditions.

Once the Task Force Chair notifies the Mayor and Council President and the owner and tenants receive notice by mail and a door posting, any further qualifying incident triggers an immediate citation to the owner and tenants. Removal from the list requires the owner to file a sworn statement, following inspection by an ISD-certified Authorized Inspector, certifying the property meets the 'minimum standards of human habitability for a residential dwelling' set by the state Sanitary Code, 105 CMR 400 and 410. Owners must also file a remediation plan with the Inspectional Services Department within 30 days of designation, outlining the steps to bring the property back into code compliance, and if an owner doesn't respond to the Task Force within 60 days, ISD can petition Housing Court to appoint a receiver to rehabilitate the property.