Massachusetts Tenant Groups, Developers Pitch 10% Local Rent Cap to Avert November Ballot Fight
Updated
Updated · The Boston Globe · Jun 3
Massachusetts Tenant Groups, Developers Pitch 10% Local Rent Cap to Avert November Ballot Fight
3 articles · Updated · The Boston Globe · Jun 3
Summary
Tenant advocates and several major developers backed a compromise that would let Massachusetts cities and towns adopt rent control, a step toward ending the state’s 1994 ban without imposing a statewide cap.
The proposal would allow annual increases of 5% plus inflation, capped at 10%, permit vacancy decontrol, and pair rent caps with a ban on no-fault evictions—softer than the ballot measure’s CPI-or-5% statewide limit.
Housing for Massachusetts, the main anti-ballot campaign, said no deal has been reached and called parts of the language still harmful to housing creation; other landlord and developer groups also rejected the plan.
Beacon Hill is the immediate hurdle: lawmakers have less than two months left in formal session, no formal path has been discussed, and supporters say they will drop the ballot question only if the Legislature passes the bill.
The compromise reflects pressure from high rents and polling support for rent control, while opponents are still preparing to spend tens of millions of dollars to defeat the stricter November initiative.