Springfield, MA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted code
- 105 CMR 410, State Sanitary Code
- Enforcer
- Code Enforcement Officer
- Max fine
- $300 per day of violation
- Adopted
- 2-3-2009, Ch. 140 Art. I
Summary
Springfield adopts the Massachusetts State Sanitary Code, 105 CMR 410, by reference as controlling law citywide, setting the minimum standards of fitness for human habitation that every rental dwelling in the city, in Hampden County, must meet.
The State Sanitary Code, set forth at 105 CMR 410 et seq., including subsequent modifications, amendments, or deletions, is hereby adopted by the City for the purpose of governing minimum standards of fitness for human habitation, a copy of which code shall be kept on file in the City Clerk's office. The State Sanitary Code is hereby adopted and incorporated, as fully as if set out at length herein, and provisions thereof shall be controlling within the limits of the City.
B. Any person who fails to comply with any order of the Code Enforcement Officer shall be liable for a criminal fine of not more than $300, and shall in all other respects be subject to the provisions of § 153-1. Each day or part of a day that the violation continues or exists shall constitute a separate violation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4680006; v21 updated 2025-12-15; through 12-15-2025).
Full Breakdown
Under City Code § 140-2, Springfield incorporates the state's Sanitary Code (105 CMR 410 et seq.) wholesale as if written into the local code, making it the operative habitability standard for the city rather than a separate locally drafted set of rules. The Code Enforcement Officer administers it, issuing orders against owners whose dwellings fall below the minimum fitness standard. This section sits in Chapter 140, Article I, adopted by the City Council 2-3-2009, alongside the city's parallel adoptions of the state building, plumbing, electrical, fire, lead, and pool codes.
Violations & Fines
Failure to comply with a Code Enforcement Officer's order is a criminal violation carrying a fine of up to $300, with each day the noncompliance continues charged as a separate offense under § 153-1.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Springfield have its own habitability code separate from the state's?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Springfield
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