Here is a letter I sent to channel 7 news on Saturday evening detailing everything I have learned about this ordinance situation so far. I will let everyone know if I hear back from them again.
Dear Channel 7 News,
I had been in contact with you a few days ago regarding this Rental Property Inspection Ordinance passed in Lynn Massachusetts in September 2020 during the height of Covid, when our City Hall was closed, there was little to no public notice, no known public hearing, and this certainly wasn't put on any ballot for the public to vote.
Since speaking with you I have started a petition and a campaign to attempt to get this ordinance amended.
Through my research I have discovered in Boston MA "Owner occupied dwellings containing fewer than six units" are exempt from the Rental Inspection process.
In Salem MA "All rental units in two and three family homes need only be inspected upon change of tenant"
For some reason no such exemptions or provisions were written into the Lynn Massachusetts Rental Property Inspection Ordinance.
Through further research I discovered the Daily Item did a story on this ordinance back in December 2021. It seems "SafeBuilt" the third party company contracted by the city of Lynn to handle all registrations and inspections of rental properties gets to keep 75% of all fees and fines collected through this ordinance. (No wonder they don't want to exempt anyone's home)
So far my petition has 165 signatures. We are planning on attending the city council meeting on Tuesday Feb 22nd at 5:30pm to make our voices heard. It would really be great if you could consider doing a story on these Rental Property Inspection Ordinances.
This ordinance directly affects my family. My family has owned my home, a 2 family home in Massachusetts since 1995. I have lived here since I was 12. We have never used it as a rental property. My grandmother purchased the home from my father in the early 2000's when my parents divorced. Since then my grandmother has lived on the first floor (1 unit) and my mother, my sister, and I have lived on the 2nd and 3rd floors (which make up the 2nd unit)
We have always been 1 family, living under 1 roof, of 1 dwelling, which just so happens to contain 2 units. Neither of which has been a rental for 26 years.
How many people can say their house is nearly 100 years old, they've lived in it 26 years, and it's up to rental property standards, unless it's been recently remodeled? We have chipped paint, we have peeling wallpaper, our hardwood floors need to be refinished, our kitchen floor needs to be replaced. I wouldn't expect someone to pay money to live here, why should we have to pay $25 to register our property as a rental property, $100 for a third party for profit inspector to come in and check off 270 bullet points from the 30 pages of the state sanitation code. Then $15 annually to renew registration AND subject our private home to re inspection every 5 years? Well if we DO NOT comply within 30 days the City of Lynn and SafeBuilt says they will fine us $300 PER DAY. We received notice on Feb 15th 2022. We have until March 14th 2022.
We already pay taxes, water, sewer, recently Lynn implemented extra trash fees for multi family homes, we pay those.
Please see attached all paperwork, screen shots, and links I have relating to this SHAMEFUL situation and I hope to hear back from you.
Link to my petition https://www.change.org/AmendTheCityOfLynnRentalPropertyInspectionOrdinance Link to article from masslandlords.net updated Nov 2021
https://masslandlords.net/springfield-ma-debates-mandatory-rental-inspections/
Link to article from daily item updated Dec 2021
https://www.itemlive.com/2021/12/17/landlords-confused-by-ordinance-in-lynn/
Please let me know if you would like any more information regarding this SHAMEFUL situation