Amendment #835 to H4700

Housing Protections

Mr. Moran of Lawrence moves to amend the bill to insert the following section:

Chapter 257 of the acts of 2020, as amended by section 16 of chapter 20 of the acts of 2021 and sections 21 through 25 of chapter 42 of the acts of 2022,  is amended to insert before Subsection (b) of Section 2  the words “Notwithstanding chapters 186 or 239 or any general or special law to the contrary, no landlord or property owner may commence an eviction where the plaintiff’s complaint for possession of a residential dwelling unit does not allege a cause for eviction other than nonpayment of rent and is based upon or includes any claim for rent or use and occupancy unless it establishes that the parties have exhausted all available opportunities, and worked in good faith, to obtain short-term emergency rental assistance (as defined at Section 2(a) of Chapter 257 of the Acts of 2020) for which the landlord and tenant are eligible and have not obtained sufficient funds through such programs to cure the arrearage through no fault of the landlord;” and to amend Subsection 2(b)(i) by striking the words “the tenancy is being terminated solely for non-payment of rent for a residential dwelling unit” and replacing them with “the plaintiff’s complaint for possession of a residential dwelling unit does not allege a cause for eviction other than nonpayment of rent and is based upon or includes any claim for rent or use and occupancy”.

Additional co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #835 to H4700

Housing Protections