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Notes From the Legal Hotline: August 2023
August 1, 2023
Q: A prospective tenant has poor credit and offered to pay the full year’s rent up front – is that allowed? A: No, rentals for 100 days or more are governed by Massachusetts General Laws Ch. 186, Sec. 15b, which prohibits a landlord from collecting any funds in excess of: First month’s rent, Last month’s rent, Security deposit not to exceed first month’s rent, and The cost to change the… -
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Notes From the Legal Hotline: July 2023
June 30, 2023
Q: A tenant provided the landlord with a document stating that their dog is a registered service animal. Is this legitimate? A: It is unlikely that this document will aid a tenant in obtaining a reasonable accommodation to allow for their dog. While many online sites offer certificates, licenses, or other registration documents stating that an animal is a service animal, no such registration, licensing, or certification process exists under… -
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Forms Updates June 2023
June 30, 2023
Below are some important updates to the MassForms™ library. Be sure to confirm you are using the latest versions.* Notice Regarding Certain Matters (#305) The content of this form remains the same; however, the order of the items included was updated so that Fair Housing appears at the top of the list. This underscores the REALTOR® commitment to Fair Housing. Condominium Addendum (#528) MAR has added a new form to… -
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2023 MAR REALTOR® Day on Beacon Hill Recap
June 14, 2023
Thank you to the hundreds of REALTORS® from across the state who joined us on Monday, June 12th for REALTOR® Day on Beacon Hill! A special thank you to Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities, Ed Augustus, for their remarks and support. Congratulations to Ron Rusin of Fall River for receiving the 2023 Private Property Rights Award. Housing drives community and REALTORS drive housing. Our… -
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Senate FY24 Budget Update
June 5, 2023
On May 25th, the Senate passed their budget, on the heels of the House’s work in April. Read our post on the FY24 House budget and our Senate budget comments. Some key housing-related notes from the Senate’s FY24 budget: Continued investment in housing assistance – following on the steps of the Governor, House, and recent history, the state has continued to backfill funding for key housing assistance programs that proved… -
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Notes From the Legal Hotline: June 2023
June 1, 2023
Q: What changes were recently made to the Sanitary Code? A: Following several delays, amendments to the Sanitary Code became effective on May 12, 2023. The tracked changes version of the new Code may be viewed here. While many of these changes are relatively minor in scope, REALTORS® working in the rental sphere will want to take particular note of the following amendments: Landlords will need to provide 48-hours’ notice… -
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MAR Shares a Vision for Housing in Massachusetts
May 31, 2023
On May 30th, Theresa Hatton, CEO of the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® shared a comprehensive vision for a better state of housing in the Commonwealth. Here is a summary of her remarks: REALTORS® drive housing and communities. The current housing market presents incredible challenges with inventory at all-time lows and prices at all-time highs. Housing production via zoning relief is the key to solving our housing crisis. Without zoning relief,… -
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Cyber Crimes are a Real (Estate) Problem: Protect your Clients and Escrow Accounts from Fraud
May 5, 2023
As a real estate practitioner or brokerage owner, you must know what your weak points are. Business email compromise (BEC) is one of the biggest threats to small businesses and the real estate market offers a flashy target for scammers. The lease and sale of properties come with the transfer of large funds and endless correspondence. Couple that reality with the fact that most real estate firms are small businesses… -
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House FY24 Budget Update
May 4, 2023
Earlier we posted about the Governor’s FY2024 budget proposal. Next up in the budget process is the House, which spent the month of April drafting and refining its proposal, which it passed on April 26th. The House budget (H.3900) totaled $56.2 billion, around $700 million higher than the Governor’s proposal and about 7% higher than the FY2023 budget. Some key housing notes: Continued investment in housing assistance – As we… -
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Key Pandemic Homeowner Assistance Program Ending
May 4, 2023
The Massachusetts Homeowner Assistance Fund (Mass HAF) will be winding down in coming months. The program was created by a $10 billion allocation to states in the American Rescue Plan Act. It provided Massachusetts with $179 million to help homeowners facing foreclosure due to COVID-19 impacts. The program has been highly successful paying out over $87 million on behalf of homeowners and helping to stop or pause over 171 foreclosure…
