Cambridge Ordinance Committee Advances Tenant Rights Ordinance With Mailing Requirement

CAMBRIDGE -- June 20, 2024, Cambridge's Ordinance Committee voted 5-0 to advance expanded tenant rights notice requirements to the full City Council. The June 20 committee, chaired by Councillor Toner and meeting with five of nine members present, approved an amendment by Councillor Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler requiring the city to mail notice of tenant rights requirements to every residential address in Cambridge at least once a year, potentially via postcard with a QR code linking to the city's website. City Solicitor Megan Bayer and housing liaison Maura Penzak cautioned that without a rental registry, the mailing cannot guarantee it reaches all landlords, particularly those outside the city, but said outreach through the city's electronic channels could supplement a physical mailer. The underlying ordinance amendments, recommended by the law department, require landlords to provide tenants with an informational guide at the inception of a tenancy and again when serving a notice to quit, going beyond what state law currently mandates.