In 2019, the most expensive zip code in Massachusetts was 02210, and renters paid on average 4,048 U.S. dollars per month for apartments there. This zip code and many of the other high-priced zip codes were located in Boston.

Violations on Boston buildings or properties issued by inspectors from the Building and Structures Division of the Inspectional Services Department.

Note: property_id is equivalent to sam_id.

Looking for Public Works violations? Check out this dataset: https://data.boston.gov/dataset/public-works-violations

These data sets include property and code violations from January 1st, 2010 to December 31st, 2021. The data were accessed from boston.data.gov under Public Works Violations and Building and Property Violations. Code violations are issued by the Public Works Department of Code Enforcement Division for breaches of State and City sanitary codes. Building and Property violations are issued by the Building and Structures Division of the Inspectional Services Department and address issues in with housing, health, sanitation, and safety regulations. These data have been processed to generate metrics at three analytic levels: record (Violations.2010_2021), parcel (Violations.2010_2021.Parcel), and neighborhood level (Violations.2010_2021.Neighborhood). These data sets were constructed as part of a collaboration with Boston’s Problem Properties Task Force funded by the National Science Foundation’s Law and Social Science Program.

Data and code to replicate the results "How Affordable Housing Can Exclude: The Political Economy of Subsidized Housing." All data on subsidized housing units provided by Housing Navigator Massachusetts (https://housingnavigatorma.org/). All demographic data retrieved from the 2018-2022 American Community Survey 5-year averages.

Building permits help to establish compliance of construction work with the minimum standards of safety established by the State Building Code to ensure public health and safety for everyone. A building permit is required before beginning most construction, demolition, modification and repair work. The Inspectional Services Department offers permitting processes tailored for a wide variety of projects, from home repairs to building demolition.

For more information on the permitting process, visit our Inspectional Services Department Permitting Process page. To apply for a new building permit or check the status of your pending permit application, go to our City of Boston Permits and Licenses Application page.

WHAT IS THE DATASET FOR?

This dataset includes information about building permits issued by the City of Boston from 2009 to the present. Permits that are being processed or have been denied, deleted, void or revoked are not included in the dataset.

WHAT PERMIT TYPES ARE PRESENT IN THE DATASET?

This dataset includes information about the following types of building permits:

• Short Form Building Permit
• Electrical Permit
• Plumbing Permit
• Gas Permit
• Electrical Low Voltage
• Long Form/Alteration Permit
• Electrical Fire Alarms
• Certificate of Occupancy
• Electrical Temporary Service
• Amendment to a Long Form
• Erect/New Construction
• Use of Premises
• Foundation Permit

For more information on these permits and their application process, visit our Building Permits information page.

WHAT DOES EACH PERMIT APPLICATION STATUS MEAN?

• Issued: indicates that the permit has been issued on date specified as issued_date.

• Open: indicates that the permit has been issued and is still valid for the applicant (i.e. not expired yet).

• Closed: indicates that the permit was successfully issued but is not valid anymore (i.e. has expired).

• Stop work: indicates the permit was successfully issued but it stopped working due to non-compliance or other issues before the expiration date.

1 computer laser optical disc ; 4 3/4 in. Provides census data designed and formatted for use in legislative redistricting. Census counts, for areas as small as blocks, census tracts, and voting districts, include totals for population, race groups, persons of Hispanic origin, population 18 years and over, and housing units.

Citations issued by the Public Works Department's Code Enforcement Division.

Looking for Building and Property violations? Check out this dataset: https://data.boston.gov/dataset/building-and-property-violations1

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

Extract of Cambridge Assessing Department on-line property database file for the most recently released fiscal year. Contains residential, condo, commercial and exempt data. Please refer to Cambridge's property database website for official assessment data: https://www.cambridgema.gov/propertydatabaseThis Feature Service will be updated annually with the latest fiscal year's data.The following fields are contained in the property database table.Field NameDescriptionPIDInternal Unique Parcel IDGISIDLink to ML in GIS Parcels layerBldgNumBuilding Number on ParcelAddressParcel AddressUnitUnit NumberStateClassCodeState Classification CodePropertyClassClassification Code descriptionZoningZoning (Unofficial)Map/LotAssessor's Map and Lot IDLandAreaLand area in square feetYearOfAssessmentFiscal Year of Assessment for this recordTaxDistrictDistrict for valuation groupingResidentialExemptionReceiving Residential exemption for fiscal yearBuildingValueAssessed value of building improvements on the parcelLandValueAssessed value of land on the parcelAssessedValueTotal assessed valueSalePricePrice listed for last deed transfer for the parcelBook/PageBook and Page number from the registry of deeds for last deed transactionSaleDateDate of last deed transactionPreviousAssessedValueTotal assessed value for the prior fiscal yearOwner_NameName of owner of record for the date of assessmentOwner_CoOwnerNameName of co-owner of record for the date of assessmentOwner_AddressAddress of owner of record for the date of assessmentOwner_Address2Second line of address of owner of record for the date of assessmentOwner_CityCity of owner of record for the date of assessmentOwner_StateState of owner of record for the date of assessmentOwner_ZipZip code of owner of record for the date of assessmentExterior_StyleBuilding style descriptionExterior_occupancyBuilding occupany, or use, type descriptionExterior_NumStoriesNumber of stories for the buildingExterior_WallTypeExterior wall material descriptionExterior_WallHeightAverage height of floors in a commercial or apartment buildingExterior_RoofTypeRoof structure descriptionExterior_RoofMaterialRoof material descriptionExterior_FloorLocationFloor level for condominium unitsExterior_ViewView quality rating for condominiumsInterior_LivingAreaFinished area of buildingInterior_NumUnitsNumber of units in a commercial or apartment buildingInterior_TotalRoomsTotal number of rooms in a condominium or residential buildingInterior_BedroomsTotal number of bedrooms in a condominium or residetential buildingInterior_KitchensKitchen description in condominium unitInterior_FullBathsCount of full bathrooms in a condominium unit or residential buildingInterior_HalfBathsCount of half bathrooms in a condominium unit or residential buildingInterior_FireplacesCount of fireplaces in residential buildingsInterior_FlooringDescription of primary floor cover materialInterior_LayoutLayout description for condominium unitInterior_LaundryInUnitYes or No flag for in unit laundry for condominiumSystems_HeatTypeHeat system type descriptionSystems_HeatFuelHeat fuel type descriptionSystems_CentralAirCentral air conditioning system indicatorSystems_PlumbingRating of plumbing system for commercial buildingCondition_YearBuiltActual year built of buildingCondition_InteriorConditionDescription of interior condition of residential buildingCondition_OverallConditionDescription of overall condition of buildingCondition_OverallGradeDescription of overall grade of buildingParking_OpenNumber of open parking spaces for residential building or condominium unitParking_CoveredNumber of covered parking spaces for residential building or condominium unitParking_GarageNumber of garage parking spaces for residential building or condominium unitUnfinishedBasementGrossUnfinished basement areaFinishedBasementGrossFinished basement area

The average price per square foot of floor space in new single-family housing in the United States decreased after the great financial crisis, followed by several years of stagnation. Since 2012, the price has continuously risen, hitting 168 U.S. dollars per square foot in 2022. In 2024, the average sales price of a new home exceeded 500,000 U.S. dollars. Development of house sales in the U.S. One of the reasons for rising property prices is the gradual growth of house sales between 2011 and 2020. This period was marked by the gradual recovery following the subprime mortgage crisis and a growing housing sentiment. Another significant factor for the housing demand was the growing number of new household formations each year. Despite this trend, housing transactions plummeted in 2021, amid soaring prices and borrowing costs. In 2021, the average construction cost for single-family housing rose by nearly 12 percent year-on-year, and in 2022, the increase was even higher, at close to 17 percent. Financing a house purchase Mortgage interest rates in the U.S. rose dramatically in 2022 and remained elevated until 2024. In 2020, a homebuyer could lock in a 30-year fixed interest rate of under three percent, whereas in 2024, the average rate for the same mortgage type was more than twice higher. That has led to a decline in homebuyer sentiment, and an increasing share of the population pessimistic about buying a home in the current market.

In District of Columbia, the average rent per square foot was 2.95 U.S. dollars in 2018, whereas renters in Oregon were expected to pay half as much in rent per square foot. DC was the most expensive state for renters, followed by New York, Hawaii, Massachusetts and California.

Why is DC so expensive?

District of Columbia is the center of the U.S. political system with all three branches of federal government sitting there: Congress (legislative), President (executive) and the Supreme Court (judicial). The above average household incomes of its residents mean that high rents are still sustainable for the rental market.

Limited space in DC

DC has the largest share of apartment dwellers in the country. This is most likely due to limited space, as the federal district has a much higher population density than the states. The political importance of DC and the high population density suggest that the federal district is likely to retain its spot as the most expensive rental market in the future.

The table below showcases the total number of homes sold for each zip code in Everett, Massachusetts. It's important to understand that the number of homes sold can vary greatly and can change yearly.