Tenant advocates gathered near the House of Representatives chamber on July 29, 2025, ahead of a legislative hearing where they pushed to lift the statewide ban on rent control. Photo by Chris Lisinski | State House News Service
Acknowledging the widespread support for a ballot question to enforce statewide rent control in Massachusetts, one of the state’s three big landlord groups is asking the Legislature to approve an alternate ballot question encouraging voluntary rent stabilization.
MassLandlords Inc. issued a white paper asking lawmakers to place an alternate question on the ballot that would amend Chapter 40P, the 1994 state law that banned mandatory rent control in Massachusetts.
The report suggests eliminating the law’s prohibition on rent control for apartments over $400, enabling cities and towns to adopt “voluntary stabilization” by landlords. Municipalities would be responsible for compensating landlords for the difference between fair market and stabilized rents out of their general funds, or through Community Preservation Act funding.
Using data from the city of Somerville as an example, the study estimates cost to taxpayers would be $18 million to reimburse landlords, based upon a market rent increase of 5 percent. Landlords would be incentivized to participate voluntarily by the likelihood of lower evictions due to non-payment, MassLandlords Executive Director Doug Quattrochi said.
The alternative, according to MassLandlords, is a “fiscal cliff” for municipalities as assessed values and property tax revenues plummet due to lack of reinvestment and developers shun Massachusetts.
“The ballot question is going to have a ton of unintended consequences. It’s a fiscal disaster for the Commonwealth,” Quattrochi said.
One public opinion poll has placed support for the ballot initiative at 63 percent. It would cap annual rent increases at the rate of inflation, or a maximum of 5 percent. Buildings in their first 10 years after construction would be exempt.
Gov. Maura Healey said she opposes the measure, backed by a coalition of unions and other progressive groups.
The Legislature has a May 5 deadline to place such a question on the November ballot, Quattrochi said.
