Key issue in Thompson v. JP Morgan Chase Bank to be considered by MA Supreme Judicial Court

MAR’s advocacy efforts intensified over the last three months. In our first quarter update, we wrote about our outlook for the new legislative session. We’re excited to report that we’ve met or exceeded many of our expectations despite a slow start to formal legislative processes.

Massachusetts recently adopted a new law taxing and regulating the short-term rental market. The following information should help Realtors® navigate the short-term rental market under these new laws and regulations.

2019 marks the start of a new two-year legislative session in Massachusetts, the 191st in our state’s history, and MAR is excited to advocate on your behalf.

The 2017-2018 Legislative Session drew to a close just after midnight on Wednesday, Aug. 1. The session started with several questions regarding Realtor® priorities and concerns on the table. Unfortunately, the session ended with a few of those issues still left outstanding. The House and Senate will continue to meet in informal sessions, but only noncontroversial items can advance until a new legislature is seated in January 2019. Read on for a recap of where many of our Realtor® issues ended up at the end of the session.

With just one more month left of the two-year formal legislative session, the Massachusetts legislature is starting to feel the heat with numerous proposals still pending. In addition to a $44 billion budget, the legislature is still conferencing on bills regulating short-term rentals, protecting consumers when data breaches occur, enhancing civics education and media literacy in public schools, and overhauling health care laws. The Massachusetts Senate is also preparing for a change in leadership as Senator Karen Spilka is poised to take over as President of the Senate from Senator Harriette Chandler later this month.