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Be a Community Expert without Violating Fair Housing
April 7, 2023
Buyers undoubtedly look to their REALTOR® for community expertise. REALTORS® often field questions about the quality of schools, the kids in the neighborhood and general safety. -
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Discriminatory Advertisements and How to Avoid Them
April 5, 2023
The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing providers from making statements or placing advertisements that discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, familial status, disability, source of income, and certain other characteristics. -
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ChatGPT and AI: Potential Fair Housing Concerns
April 5, 2023
Artificial Intelligence promises to continue to make big gains in the real estate space offering digital assistance and automatically generating advertising and marketing content. However, it is crucial that REALTORS® identify potential ethical implications of this technology. -
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Can a Landlord Require Employment Verification from a Prospective Tenant?
April 5, 2023
Landlords want to know if the tenant applicant will pay the rent on time, keep the apartment in good condition and be a good neighbor, however, they are limited in permissible screening inquiries by Massachusetts law. -
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New Sanitary Code Effective in April — Implementation Delayed
April 5, 2023
The publication date and effective date of the updated Code is May 12, 2023. Additional information can be found here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/housing-code. Following several rounds of debate and revisions, Massachusetts has a new State Sanitary Code going into effect in April, 2023. While many of the previous provisions remain, there are several significant changes that REALTORS® should take note of. The new Code may be accessed here. Landlord Access: Except for emergency situations,… -
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Notes from the Legal Hotline: April 2023
March 31, 2023
Q. What steps can a brokerage take to ensure compliance with all Fair Housing laws? A. With April being Fair Housing month, it’s a good time to review office policies and procedures to ensure compliance with all applicable Fair Housing laws. Compliance with fair housing is not only a legal requirement under both federal and state laws, but it is also an ethical obligation under the REALTOR® Code of Ethics… -
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Notes from the Legal Hotline: March 2023
March 2, 2023
Q: Are there any limitations on the types of transactions a real estate licensee may engage in? A: Once an individual is properly licensed as either a broker or a salesperson in Massachusetts, they are legally permitted to engage in any type of real estate transaction throughout the Commonwealth. Licensees, however, may be subject to discipline under 254 CMR 3.14(e) if they assume any duties or responsibilities that they are… -
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Important Update to MA Board of Registration License Renewal
February 17, 2023
The Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons has updated their license renewal portal and now requires more details regarding continuing education courses when renewing. Be prepared to renew your license by having the following information with you: The name of the school attended The name of the course taken The date you took the course The total hours of the course Members that have taken… -
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Reasonable Accommodations No Matter Who Asks?
February 15, 2023
In a recent Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) case, a landlord was required to pay $30,000 in emotional distress damages to the complainants and $17,500 in civil penalties. It was found that his attempt to evict a tenant for non-payment of rent constituted retaliation when the landlord discriminated against that same tenant and her non-tenant boyfriend by failing to make reasonable accommodations for his emotional support dog. There is a…
