HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 5008

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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INITIATIVE PETITION OF 

                                                                  OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY.

                                                                  BOSTON, JANUARY 3, 2018.

Timothy Carroll

Clerk of the House of Representatives

State House

Boston, Massachusetts 02133

     Sincerely,

WILLIAM FRANCIS GALVIN

Secretary of the Commonwealth.

AN INITIATIVE PETITION.

    Pursuant to Article XLVIII of the Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth, as amended, the undersigned qualified voters of the Commonwealth, ten in number at least, hereby petition for the enactment into law of the following measure:

        FILED ON: 2/4/2026

 The General Laws are hereby amended by striking out chapter 40P and inserting in place thereof the following chapter:-

 CHAPTER 40P. LIMITING RENT INCREASES

 Section 1. Purpose.

 The purpose of this act is to provide housing stability for tenants, landlords, and communities across the commonwealth, and curb displacement as a result of the housing shortage and affordability crisis in Massachusetts.

 Section 2. Definitions.

 For the purposes of this chapter: —

 “Covered Dwelling Units” shall mean all dwelling units leased for residential, but not commercial, use, except:

 (a) Dwelling units in owner-occupied buildings with four or fewer units.

 (b) Dwelling units whose rents are subject to regulation by a public authority; provided, however, that occupancy by a tenant with a mobile housing voucher does not constitute being regulated by a public authority.

 (c) Dwelling units that are rented primarily to transient guests for a period of less than 14 consecutive days.

 (d) Dwelling units in facilities operated solely for educational, religious, or non-profit purposes.

 (e) Dwelling units for which the first residential certificate of occupancy is less than 10 years old, for a period of 10 years from the date at which such certificate of occupancy was issued.

 Section 3. Rent increase limits.

 This chapter shall establish a limit on any annual rent increase for a covered dwelling unit in the commonwealth, which shall not exceed the annual increase in Consumer Price Index or 5%, whichever is lower, in any 12-month period. This limit shall apply whether or not there is a change in-tenancy during the relevant 12-month period.

 For purposes of this chapter, the rent amount in place on January 31, 2026, shall serve as the base rent upon which any annual rent increase shall be applied. If a covered dwelling unit is vacant on the date of adoption, the last rent amount charged shall serve as the base rent. If there was no previous rent amount, or if no rent has been charged for at least the previous five years, for a covered dwelling unit the rent amount the owner first charges following the date of adoption shall serve as the base rent.

 Where dwelling units are exempt, a notice of exemption must be provided with the lease for all tenancies. If there is no written lease for such dwelling units, the tenants-at-will must be provided with a written notice of exemption prior to the acceptance of the initial rent payment.

 Section 4. Penalties.

 Any violation of this chapter shall be deemed an unfair and deceptive act under chapter 93A of the General Laws. Any person claiming a violation of this chapter may pursue remedies under section 9 of chapter 93A. The attorney general is hereby authorized to bring an action under section 4 of chapter 93A to enforce this provision and to obtain restitution, civil penalties, injunctive relief, and any other relief awarded pursuant to said chapter 93A.

 Section 5. Interpretation of This Chapter,

 Nothing in this section shall be construed to interfere with any existing rights or protections afforded to tenants under current state or federal law.

FIRST TEN SIGNERS

CERTIFICATE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.

Honorable William Francis Galvin

Secretary of the Commonwealth

One Ashburton Place, Room 1705

Boston, Massachusetts 02108

RE: Initiative Petition No. 25-21: An Act to Protect Tenants by Limiting Rent Increases

Dear Secretary Galvin:

 In accordance with the provisions of Article 48 of the Amendments to the Massachusetts Constitution, I have reviewed the above-referenced initiative petition, which was submitted to me on or before the first Wednesday of August of this year.

 I hereby certify that this measure is in proper form for submission to the people; that the measure is not, either affirmatively or negatively, substantially the same as any measure which has been qualified for submission or submitted to the people at either of the two preceding biennial state elections; and that it contains only subjects that are related or are mutually dependent and which are not excluded from the initiative process pursuant to Article 48, the Initiative, Part 2, Section 2.

 In accordance with Article 48, I enclose a fair, concise summary of the measure.

Sincerely,

INSPECTOR GENERAL,

Attorney General.

Summary of 25-21.