Residential Home Purchases Category Archives — Massachusetts Real Estate Lawyer Blog Published by Massachusetts Real Estate Attorneys — Pulgini & Norton, LLP Attorneys at Law | Published by Massachusetts Real Estate Attorneys — Pulgini & Norton, LLP Attorneys at Law

The Assessing Online application brings direct access for taxpayers, homeowners, real estate and legal professionals as well as business owners to property parcel data including assessed value, location, ownership and tax information for each piece of property in the city.

The information assists homeowners directly in their ownership responsibilities by providing the current value and tax status of their property. Professional real estate, business and legal entities access and draw upon Boston property parcel data to support and enhance their specific business operations. The GIS data appended to this application provides valuable graphical contexts for researchers, analysts and other professionals interested in demographical patterns, property usage and development.

Direct link: Short-Term Rental Eligibility Dataset

DATASET CONTEXT

Boston's ordinance on short-term rentals is designed to incorporate the growth of the home-share industry into the City's work to create affordable housing for all residents. We want to preserve housing for residents while allowing Bostonians to benefit from this new industry. Starting on on January 1, 2019, short-term rentals in Boston will need to register with the City of Boston.

Eligibility for every unit in the City of Boston is dependant on the following six criteria:

• No affordability covenant restrictions
• Compliance with housing laws and codes
• No violations of laws regarding short-term rental use
• Owner occupied
• Two- or three-family dwelling
• Residential use classification

The Short-Term Rental Eligibility Dataset leverages information, wherever possible, about these criteria. For additional details and information about these criteria, please visit https://www.boston.gov/short-term-rentals.

ABOUT THIS DATASET

ATTENTION: The Short-Term Rental Eligibility Dataset is now available for residents and landlords to determine their registration eligibility.

NOTE: These data are refreshed on a nightly basis.

In June 2018, a citywide ordinance established new guidelines and regulations for short-term rentals in Boston. Registration opened January 1, 2019. The Short-Term Rental Eligibility Dataset was created to help residents, landlords, and City officials determine whether a property is eligible to be registered as a short-term rental.

The Short-Term Rental Eligibility Dataset currently joins data from the following datasets:

• Live Street Address Management (SAM) Addresses
• Assessing Online
• Code Enforcement - Building and Property
• Problem Properties
• Income-Restricted Properties
• STR Registration Data

HOW TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY FOR SHORT-TERM RENTAL REGISTRATION

1. ** Open** the Short-Term Rental Eligibility Dataset. In the dataset's search bar, enter the address of the property you are seeking to register.

2. Find the row containing the correct address and unit of the property you are seeking. This is the information we have for your unit.

3. Look at the columns marked as “Home-Share Eligible,” “Limited-Share Eligible,” and “Owner-Adjacent Eligible.”

   A “yes” under any of these columns means your unit IS eligible for registration under that short-term rental type. Click here for a description of short-term rental types.

   A “no” under any of these columns means your unit is NOT eligible for registration under that short-term rental type. Click here for a description of short-term rental types.

4. If your unit has a “yes” under “Home-Share Eligible,” “Limited-Share Eligible,” or “Owner-Adjacent Eligible,” you can register your unit here.

WHY IS MY UNIT LISTED AS “NOT ELIGIBLE”?

If you find that your unit is listed as NOT eligible, and you would like to understand more about why, you can use the Short-Term Rental Eligibility Dataset to learn more. The following columns measure each of the six eligibility criteria in the following ways:

1. No affordability covenant restrictions

   • A “yes” in the “Income Restricted” column tells you that the unit is marked as income restricted and is NOT eligible.

The “Income Restricted” column measures whether the unit is subject to an affordability covenant, as reported by the Department of Neighborhood Development and/or the Boston Planning and Development Agency.
For questions about affordability covenants, contact the Department of Neighborhood Development.

1. Compliance with housing laws and codes

   • A “yes” in the “Problem Properties” column tells you that this unit is considered a “Problem Property” by the Problem Properties Task Force and is NOT eligible.

Learn more about how “Problem Properties” are defined here.

* A **“yes”** in the **“Problem Property Owner”** column tells you that the owner of this unit also owns a “Problem Property,” as reported by the Problem Properties Task Force. 

Owners with any properties designated as a Problem Property are NOT eligible.

No unit owned by the owner of a “Problem Property” may register a short-term rental.
Learn more about how “Problem Properties” are defined here.

* The **“Open Violation Count”** column tells you how many open violations the unit has. Units with **any open** violations are NOT eligible. Violations counted include: violations of the sanitary, building, zoning, and fire code; stop work orders; and abatement orders. 

NOTE: Violations written before 1/1/19 that are still open will make a unit NOT eligible until these violations are resolved.
If your unit has an open violation, visit these links to appeal your violation(s) or pay your code violation fine(s).

* The **“Violations in the Last 6 Months”** column tells you how many violations the unit has received in the last six months. Units with **three or more** violations, whether open or closed, are NOT eligible. 

NOTE: Only violations written on or after 1/1/19 will count against this criteria.
If your unit has an open violation, visit these links to appeal your violation(s) or pay your code violation fine(s).

How to comply with housing laws and codes:
Have an open violation? Visit these links to appeal your violation(s) or pay your code violation fine(s).
Have questions about problem properties? Visit Neighborhood Service’s Problem Properties site.
a legal restriction that prohibits the use of the unit as a Short-Term Rental under condominium bylaws.
Units with legal restrictions found upon investigation are NOT eligible.

If the investigation of a complaint against the unit yields restrictions of the nature detailed above, we will mark the unit with a “yes” in this column. Until such complaint-based investigations begin, all units are marked with “no.”
NOTE: Currently no units have a “legally restricted” designation.
Limited-Share
If you are the owner-occupant of a unit and you have not filed for Residential Tax Exemption, you can still register your unit by proving owner-occupancy. It is recommended that you submit proof of residency in your short-term rental registration application to expedite the process of proving owner-occupancy (see “Primary Residence Evidence” section).

* **“Building Owner-Occupied”** measures whether the building has a single owner AND is owner occupied. A “no” in this column indicates that the unit is NOT eligible for an owner-adjacent short-term rental. 

If you believe your building occupancy data is incorrect, please contact the Assessing Department.

1. Two- or three-family dwelling

   • The “Units in Building” column tells you how many units are in the building. Owner-Adjacent units are only allowed in two- to three-family buildings; therefore, four or more units in this column will mark the unit as NOT eligible for an Owner-Adjacent Short-Term Rental.

   • A “no” in the “Building Single Owner” column tells you that the owner of this unit does not own the entire building and is NOT eligible for an Owner-Adjacent Short-Term Rental.

   If you believe your building occupancy data is incorrect, please contact the Assessing Department.
   R4

   If you believe your building occupancy data is incorrect, please contact the Assessing Department.

Visit this site for more information on unit eligibility criteria.

Click here to check Short-Term Rental Eligibility

Boston's ordinance on short-term rentals is designed to incorporate the growth of the home-share industry into the City's work to create affordable housing for all residents. We want to preserve housing for residents while allowing Bostonians to benefit from this new industry. Starting on on January 1, 2019, short-term rentals in Boston will need to register with the City of Boston.

Eligibility for every unit in the City of Boston is dependant on the following six criteria:

• No affordability covenant restrictions
• Compliance with housing laws and codes
• No violations of laws regarding short-term rental use
• Owner occupied
• Two- or three-family dwelling
• Residential use classification

The Short-Term Rental Eligibility Dataset leverages information, wherever possible, about these criteria. For additional details and information about these criteria, please visit https://www.boston.gov/short-term-rentals.

ABOUT THIS DATASET

In June 2018, a citywide ordinance established new guidelines and regulations for short-term rentals in Boston. Registration opened January 1, 2019. The Short-Term Rental Eligibility Dataset was created to help residents, landlords, and City officials determine whether a property is eligible to be registered as a short-term rental.

The Short-Term Rental Eligibility Dataset currently joins data from the following datasets and is refreshed nightly:

• Live Street Address Management (SAM) Addresses.
• Assessing Online.
• Building and Property Violations
• Problem Properties
• Income-Restricted Properties
• STR Registration Data

HOW TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY FOR SHORT-TERM RENTAL REGISTRATION

1. ** Open** the Short-Term Rental Eligibility Dataset. In the dataset's search bar, enter the address of the property you are seeking to register.

2. Find the row containing the correct address and unit of the property you are seeking. This is the information we have for your unit.

3. Look at the columns marked as “Home-Share Eligible,” “Limited-Share Eligible,” and “Owner-Adjacent Eligible.”

   • A “yes” under any of these columns means your unit IS eligible for registration under that short-term rental type. Click here for a description of short-term rental types.
   • A “no” under any of these columns means your unit is NOT eligible for registration under that short-term rental type. Click here for a description of short-term rental types.

4. If your unit has a “yes” under “Home-Share Eligible,” “Limited-Share Eligible,” or “Owner-Adjacent Eligible,” you can register your unit here.

WHY IS MY UNIT LISTED AS “NOT ELIGIBLE”?

If you find that your unit is listed as NOT eligible, and you would like to understand more about why, you can use the Short-Term Rental Eligibility Dataset to learn more. The following columns measure each of the six eligibility criteria in the following ways:

1. No affordability covenant restrictions

   • A “yes” in the “Income Restricted” column tells you that the unit is marked as income restricted and is NOT eligible.
     
     
   • The “Income Restricted” column measures whether the unit is subject to an affordability covenant, as reported by the Department of Neighborhood Development and/or the Boston Planning and Development Agency.
     
     
   • For questions about affordability covenants, contact the Department of Neighborhood Development.
     
     

2. Compliance with housing laws and codes

   • A “yes” in the “Problem Properties” column tells you that this unit is considered a “Problem Property” by the Problem Properties Task Force and is NOT eligible.
     
     
   • Learn more about how “Problem Properties” are defined here.
     
     
   • A “yes” in the “Problem Property Owner” column tells you that the owner of this unit also owns a “Problem Property,” as reported by the Problem Properties Task Force.
     
     
   • Owners with any properties designated as a Problem Property are NOT eligible.
     
     
   • No unit owned by the owner of a “Problem Property” may register a short-term rental.
     
     
   • Learn more about how “Problem Properties” are defined here.
     
     
   • The “Open Violation Count” column tells you how many open violations the unit has. Units with any open violations are NOT eligible. Violations counted include: violations of the sanitary, building, zoning, and fire code; stop work orders; and abatement orders.
     
     
   • NOTE: Violations written before 1/1/19 that are still open will make a unit NOT eligible until these violations are resolved.
     
     
   • If your unit has an open violation, visit these links to appeal your violation(s) or pay your code violation fine(s).
     
     
   • The “Violations in the Last 6 Months” column tells you how many violations the unit has received in the last six months. Units with three or more violations, whether open or closed, are NOT eligible.
     
     
   • NOTE: Only violations written on or after 1/1/19 will count against this criteria.
     
     
   • If your unit has an open violation, visit these links to appeal your violation(s) or pay your code violation fine(s).
     
     
   • How to comply with housing laws and codes:
     
     
   • Have an open violation? Visit these links to appeal your violation(s) or pay your code violation fine(s).
     
     
   • Have questions about problem properties? Visit Neighborhood Service’s Problem Properties site.
     
     

3. No violations of laws regarding short-term rental use

   • A “yes” in the “Legally Restricted” column tells you that there is a complaint against the unit that finds

     • A legal restriction that prohibits the use of the unit as a Short-Term Rental under local, state, or federal law, OR

     • legal restriction that prohibits the use of the unit as a Short-Term Rental under condominium bylaws.

     • Units with legal restrictions found upon investigation are NOT eligible.
       
       

     • If the investigation of a complaint against the unit yields restrictions of the nature detailed above, we will mark the unit with a “yes” in this column. Until such complaint-based investigations begin, all units are marked with “no.”
       
       

     • NOTE: Currently no units have a “legally restricted” designation.
       
       

4. Owner-occupied

   • A “no” in the “Unit Owner-Occupied” column tells you that there is NO Residential Tax Exemption filed for that unit via the Assessing Department, and that unit is automatically categorized as NOT eligible for the following Short-Term Rental types:

     • Home-Share
     • Limited-Share
       
       
     • Residential Tax Exemption indicates that a unit is owner-occupied and generates a “yes” in the “Unit Owner-Occupied” column.
       
       

     • Owners are not required to file a Residential Tax Exemption in order to be eligible to register a unit as a Short-Term Rental.
       
       

     • If you would like to apply for Residential Tax Exemption, you can apply here.
       
       

     • If you are the owner-occupant of a unit and you have not filed for Residential Tax Exemption, you can still register your unit by proving owner-occupancy.
       

     • It is recommended that you submit proof of residency in your short-term rental registration application to expedite the process of proving owner-occupancy (see

Graph and download economic data for Combined Violent and Property Crime Offenses Known to Law Enforcement in Rockingham County, NH (DISCONTINUED) (FBITC033015) from 2005 to 2019 about Rockingham County, NH; crime; violent crime; property crime; Boston; NH; and USA.

Petition subject: Incorporation Original: http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL:13448120 Date of creation: 1840-02-15 Petition location: Boston Legislator, committee, or address that the petition was sent to: Theophilus R. Marvin, Boston; committee on education Selected signatures:John T. HiltonJoel W. LewisWilliam C. NellBenjamin WeedenJames BurrThomas JenningsHenry WeedenSoloman R. AlexanderChristopher R. Weeden Actions taken on dates: 1840-02-20 Legislative action: Received in the House on February 20, 1840 and referred to the committee on education Total signatures: 10 Legislative action summary: Received, referred Males of color signatures: 10 Female only signatures: No Identifications of signatories: [males of color] Prayer format was printed vs. manuscript: Manuscript Additional non-petition or unrelated documents available at archive: additional documents available Additional archivist notes: Adelphic Union Society, literary and scientific improvement, association, real estate, make and establish by laws Location of the petition at the Massachusetts Archives of the Commonwealth: House Unpassed 1840, Docket 690 Acknowledgements: Supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-5105612), Massachusetts Archives of the Commonwealth, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University, Institutional Development Initiative at Harvard University, and Harvard University Library.

The Kickham Comment – Boston Accident Lawyer Blog | Published by Boston, Massachusetts Injury & Accident Attorney — William D. Kickham, Attorney At Law

Petition subject: Racial discrimination Original: http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL:25455140 Date of creation: (unknown) Petition location: Massachusetts Legislator, committee, or address that the petition was sent to: Maurice E. Frye Jr., Boston; committee on government regulations Selected signatures:Elliot L. RichardsonMartin A. LinskyMaurice E. Frye Jr. Actions taken on dates: 1969-01-01,1969-01-01 Legislative action: Received in the House on January 1, 1969 and referred to the committee on government regulations and sent for concurrence and received in the Senate on January 1, 1969 and concurred Total signatures: 3 Legislative action summary: Received, referred, sent, received, concurred Legal voter signatures (males not identified as non-legal): 3 Female only signatures: No Identifications of signatories: citizens Prayer format was printed vs. manuscript: Printed Additional non-petition or unrelated documents available at archive: additional documents available Additional archivist notes: to invalidate restrictive covenants and conditions in agreements relative to real estate which discriminate against individuals because of race, color, religion or national origin, includes addresses, towns next to names including Boston, Brookline Location of the petition at the Massachusetts Archives of the Commonwealth: St. 1969, c.523, passed July 16, 1969 Acknowledgements: Supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-5105612), Massachusetts Archives of the Commonwealth, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University, Institutional Development Initiative at Harvard University, and Harvard University Library.

This final report summarizes the results of archaeological investigations conducted at the Sarah Boston farmstead during the summers of 2006 and 2007. These excavations were carried out in conjunction with the Hassanamesit Woods Management Committee, a collaborative effort between the Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Massachusetts Boston, the Town of Grafton, Massachusetts, and the Nipmuc Tribal Nation. Designed to provide educational and interpretive information concerning the Nipmuc history of the 203 acre parcel known today as Hassanamesit Woods and cognizant of the fact that the researchers are interpreting the Nipmuc people’s past, the archaeological investigations sought to recover information concerning the lives and history of four historically documented households headed by a succession of Nipmuc women between 1728 and 1860. Previous archaeological and archival research (Bonner and Kiniry 2003, Gary 2005) confirmed that the 203 acre parcel purchased by the Town of Grafton in 2003 included the 1728 farmstead of Peter Muckamaug, so named for the husband of Sarah Robins, the daughter of 17th-century Nipmuc Sachem Petavit, also known as Robin. Petavit led the Nipmuc community of Hassanamesit, the second of John Eliot’s seven “Christian Indian” communities established during the second half of the 17th century. Members of seven families of the Hassanamisco Band of the Nipmuc received parcels as part of the redistribution of Hassanamesit Lands by the English in 1728. One of these was given to Sarah Robins, however given English legal custom the parcel was named for her Narragansett husband Muckamaug. As the documentary and archaeological results summarized in this report will demonstrate, there are rich material remains of at least two of the four documented households that we believe lived in what is today Hassanamesit Woods. The investigations conducted during the spring and summer of 2006 involved two phases of excavation. The first was supported by funds supplied by the Town of Grafton and administered by the Hassanamesit Woods Committee. The second phase involved an archaeological field school supported by the University of Massachusetts Boston. Combined, these excavations unearthed 17, 2 × 2 meter excavation units, or a total of 68 square meters of site area. All of these units were located within the historic boundaries of the Sarah Boston farmstead in the area where previous investigations had identified the largest concentration of historic period material culture (Gary 2005:38-45). During the summer of 2007, 17 additional 2 × 2 meter excavation units were completed in the same site area doubling the area investigated to 136 square meters. The large-scale, open area excavation employed during the 2006 and 2007 investigations unearthed the remains of what we believe to be the foundation and yard area of the Sarah Boston farmstead. These excavations were aided by a GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) survey of the homestead conducted in June of 2007 by John Steinberg of the Fiske Center. His results (discussed in Chapters 3 and 4) successfully located the remains of a cellar hole and foundation that we believe was either built or substantially renovated by Sarah Phillips during the late 18th century. Recovered artifacts also demonstrate a much longer Native American occupation on the site spanning some 4,000 years. Additional documentary research carried out as part of the project, combined with that conducted by Oakfield Research (Tritsch 2006), has revealed a rich historical context that chronicles the entangled cultural and legal history of Hassanamesit and the four Nipmuc women who lived on the property.