Plymouth County, MA Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)
Key Facts
- Registration
- Set by each town
- Authority
- MGL c.111 §127A
- Enforcer
- Local board of health
- Brockton
- Registration + inspection program
- County role
- None
Summary
Rental registration and inspection are local powers, not county ones. The State Sanitary Code under MGL c.111 §127A lets each town's board of health enforce housing standards, and cities like Brockton run rental registration and inspection programs. A landlord registers with the municipality, not the county.
Local boards of health shall enforce said code in the same manner in which local health rules and regulations are enforced, but, if any such local boards fail after the lapse of a reasonable length of time to enforce the same, the department may in like manner enforce said code against any violator.
Full Breakdown
Massachusetts counties hold no ordinance power, so any rental registry is a town creation. Chapter 111 §127A directs the state to adopt the Sanitary Code and makes local boards of health its front-line enforcers. Under that authority, a community may require landlords to register units, pay a fee, and pass periodic inspections. Brockton, with its large rental population, operates a rental registration and inspection program; smaller South Shore towns range from full registration to inspection only on complaint. The obligation, fee, and inspection cycle are set by each city or town, not the county, all resting on the Sanitary Code's statewide floor.
Violations & Fines
A landlord who skips a required registration or fails inspection faces the fines and correction orders the town's board of health issues under the Sanitary Code, up to $500 per offense under Chapter 111 §127A.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to register my rental with the county?
Who inspects rental housing?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Plymouth County
Compare Plymouth County to another location·View the Massachusetts rental property rules overview
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