Boston, MA Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)

3(C), owners must identify the property by street address and state the number of units they own at each address, then sign an ISD-approved form attesting they understand their obligations under the commonwealth's Sanitary Code (105 CMR 410), the Building Code (780 CMR), the Zoning Code, and fair housing law. box does not satisfy the requirement. If the owner is a trust, partnership or corporation, the managing trustee, partner or corporation president's information must be posted instead, along with any non-resident manager or agent's details.

Any owner living outside Massachusetts must designate a Boston-based resident agent authorized to accept service. Registrations go into an electronic ISD database; the $25 initial fee and $15 per-unit annual renewal apply to every non-owner-occupied rental and to owner-occupied dwellings with more than six units. The exemption for owner-occupied buildings of six units or fewer applies retroactively: an owner who already paid while otherwise qualifying may request a refund from ISD, and the city must notify eligible landlords by direct mail. Registration itself stays mandatory even for fee-exempt owners; only the payment is waived.

Property transfers must be reported to ISD within 30 days of closing, and the new owner must register within 30 days and submit a maintenance plan addressing any significant code deficiencies.