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.