Skip to main content

MEEB Newsletter September 2025

Written by Amanda on . Posted in Owners Area, Pull Up a Chair, Residents General.

LANDLORDS CAN’T REQUIRE APARTMENTTENANTS TO PAY THE BROKER’S FEE

Effective August 1, 2025

Landlords have traditionally required tenants to pay the broker’s fee when they rent an apartment, and tenants have generally expected to incur that expense. But this standard practice in the rental housing industry is now illegal in Massachusetts as the result of an amendment to the state law governing the registration of real estate brokers and salespeople. That amendment, which took effect August 1, prohibits landlords from requiring tenants to pay the fee for the landlord’s broker.

Read More…

MEEB Newsletter August 2025

Written by Amanda on . Posted in BOT, Owners Area, Pull Up a Chair.

BOARD MEETING RULES SHOULD FOLLOW BEST PRACTICES

What Can Be Done?

PROBLEM: An owner invites a good friend frequently to spend weekends with her. Although this is a non-smoking community, this friend insists on smoking inside the owner’s unit, on her patio, and in common area hallways – all specifically forbidden by association rules.

SOLUTION: The association’s relationship is with the owner, not the guest, so the board’s enforcement actions must target the owner.

Read More…

MEEB Newsletter June 2025

Written by Amanda on . Posted in BOT, Owners Area, Pull Up a Chair.

CONDO 101: ALL UNIT OWNERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMON AREA REPAIR COSTS

MEEB SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDS ASSOCIATION’S ASSESSMENT AGAINST OWNER SAYS NO TO PAYING FOR BUILDING NOT LIVED IN

In a recent court decision, the Massachusetts Superior Court agreed with MEEB that a unit owner could not avoid paying an assessment because they didn’t use a portion of the common areas. In Gaab, et al. v. Board of Trustees of Townhomes at Beecher Place Condominium Trust, the owners of a unit filed a lawsuit asking the judge to declare that they have no obligation to pay any portion of an assessment to cover the costs of foundation repairs and earthwork needed to stop one of the condominium buildings from sinking.

Read More…

MEEB Newsletter Janurary 2025

Written by Amanda on . Posted in BOT, Cambridge, Owners Area, Pull Up a Chair, Residents General.

NEW MASSACHUSETTS LAW CREATES A STATEWIDE RIGHT TO CHARGE ELECTRIC VEHICLES

CONDO BOARDS CAN’T BAN CHARGING STATIONS

When Boston and Cambridge enacted “right-to-charge” ordinances in 2019 and 2022, respectively, codifying the rights of electric vehicle owners to install charging stations in multi-family buildings, industry executives predicted that Massachusetts lawmakers would eventually follow suit. They were right.

A sweeping climate bill enacted at the end of last year includes a statewide “right to charge” provision, prohibiting condominium associations and homeowners’ associations from banning or unreasonably restricting the installation of charging stations in areas used exclusively by owners. The state law closely tracks the language in the local ordinances, with a few tweaks clarifying the authority of HOAs and condo associations to review installations and to regulate them. We’ve compiled the following list of FAQs to help condominium boards understand and comply with the new law.

Read More…