Boston City Council proposal would raise fees and fines for landlords

Some members of the Boston City Council are pushing to strengthen tenant protections by increasing fees for landlords. City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata said this week that she introduced an ordinance to address the city’s housing crisis. With a shortage of about 40,000 units, high demand has sent rent prices skyrocketing. The plan would also increase fines for landlords in violation. Fellow Boston City Councilor Benjamin Weber supports the proposal. “We have a system here where anyone renting out an apartment has to get it inspected, and the fees for inspections and violations of not following the rules haven’t been updated since 1983,” Weber said. Initial registration fees would increase from $25 to $75, with annual registration fees moving from $15 to $50. Violation inspection fees increase from $15 to $150. There would be a $300 fine each day, instead of each month, for failure to comply. Doug Quattrochi, executive director for the Massachusetts Landlords Association, said fines of $9,000 “is the kind of thing that’s going to send landlords out of business, and that’s really what they’re up to with this.” Despite Mayor Michelle Wu’s support of the 2026 ballot measure to implement statewide rent control, Quattrochi says the increased fines could ultimately raise rental costs. “It’s right that fines should increased over time, but that’s actually not what they’re doing here,” he said. “The fines are being raised about 10 times too fast.” The proposal also requires the Boston Inspectional Services Department and the Office of Housing Stability to collaborate, sharing complaints through a database in order to streamline response times from city housing case workers. “We do not want random inspectors or other people going into our homes without a warrant. That is exactly what the rental registry ordinances do,” Quattrochi said. “If you don’t have the resources to make it livable, maybe you shouldn’t be landlord here in Boston,” Weber said. Landlord and tenant groups will have the opportunity to weigh in before any final decision is made.