LYNN — An ordinance intended to ensure that tenants are made aware of their rights and the resources available to them is set to go into effect Nov. 15. All landlords and property owners received written communication about the ordinance from the Inspectional Services Department.
The Housing Stability Ordinance, which was adopted by the City Council in December 2024, was established to ensure that residential tenants, landlords, property managers, and all parties involved in renting and leasing units are informed of their rights and responsibilities.
“We recognize that both property owners and tenants continue to face challenges in an evolving housing market, and our goal is to support housing stability for all,” Mayor Jared C. Nicholson said. “Property managers and owners play an important role in maintaining stable housing, and we appreciate their partnership in this effort.”
The Housing Stability Ordinance, which was crafted in collaboration with the Law Department and housing advocacy and legal groups, requires landlords to provide tenants with essential information about their rights and available resources at the start of a tenancy and upon the termination of an existing one.
Tenants must receive the “Tenants Rights and Resources Guide” when they sign a lease or pay the first month’s rent, and upon landlord initiating legal steps to terminate a tenancy. Landlords must also provide this information upon renewal of an existing lease.
The ordinance applies to all rental units in the City and includes tenant-at-will agreements (month to month). Landlords are required to obtain a signed acknowledgement from the tenant that they received the “Tenants’ Rights and Resources Guide.” Failure to comply with the ordinance may result in a $300-per-day fine. The guide will be printed in multiple languages.
“This guide will be an invaluable resource tool for tenants,” said Ward 4 Councilor Natasha Megie-Maddrey. “Tenants will now have access to an easily readable summary of complex areas of the law as they relate to leases, security deposits, the state sanitary code, and the eviction process.”
Nicholson said the idea for the Housing Stability Ordinance came from the City’s housing Production Plan.
“This ordinance is consistent with Housing Lynn’s recommendations that we have been working with stakeholders to implement,” the mayor said.
The Housing Stability Ordinance was modeled after similar ordinances in Somerville and Cambridge.
