Massachusetts: Boston Councilors Propose a Public 'Bad Landlords List' With Violation Scoring, Published Twice a Year
BOSTON, Suffolk County, Massachusetts — Boston City Council President Liz Breadon and Councilor Brian Worrell have introduced an ordinance to establish a public "Bad Landlords List," backed by 10 other councilors. The proposal, Docket #1958, was referred to the council's Government Operations Committee on October 21.
Under the draft, the city would score landlords on housing and fire-code violations, unpaid fines and rental-registration noncompliance, using data from the Inspectional Services Department. The list would be published twice a year; listed landlords would face maximum fines and more frequent inspections, and would be barred from doing business with the city, receiving city subsidies or taking part in Article 80 development review.
The sponsors say the list would let tenants check a landlord's violation record before signing a lease and push problem landlords to fix conditions. The ordinance still requires a committee hearing and a full council vote.
Source: GSM · America
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：波士顿市政厅（CC BY-SA 4.0，Wikimedia Commons）。Boston City Hall (CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons).
