Press Release: 2020-07-10

Urgent: Oppose HD.5166 Rent Cancellation before it gets passed into law

There is a bill before the legislature that represents an existential threat to residential real estate rentals:

HD.5166 An Act to guarantee housing stability during the COVID-19 emergency and recovery

HD.5166 would:

• Cancel, not postpone, cancel rents for the period March 10, 2020 onward until 12 months after the end of the state of emergency (whenever that is);
• Put the cost of a public health emergency on the backs of mom and pop businesses;
• Enact just cause eviction rent control, outlawing rent increases, hindering major renovations, and creating permanent tenancies; and
• Enact eviction sealing, making it impossible to screen tenants adequately, and unexpectedly creating secret courts open to bribery and corruption.

The bill is unimaginable in its shortsightedness and political opportunism. The only crumbs for housing providers would be (1) paltry mortgage forbearance of as little as six months for some owners, and (2) an empty promise of a future fund to raise donations for us.

We must stop this ludicrous bill, which has already embarrassingly attracted over a quarter of the legislature as cosponsors. We could instead accomplish every legitimate objective with our Fair and Equal Housing Guarantee via Surety Bonds.

We have prepared detailed talking points opposed to HD.5166, which we need you to use at the earliest opportunity by calling Reps and Senators:

• Talking Points docx Format
• Talking Points pdf Format

For your convenience and speed of action the talking points are reproduced below. If you have questions before taking action, reply or call 774-314-1896 and leave a voicemail, we will help you prepare.

Please take action now,
Doug Quattrochi
Executive Director
MassLandlords, Inc.