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Mass. high court blocks rent-control ballot measure after landlord and developer challenge, keeping it off November’s ballot.

By Valerija via CRE Daily <— click here for more articles by Valerija

• Massachusetts’s highest court has removed a sweeping rent-control measure from the November ballot, ending the latest push for statewide regulation.
• The legal challenge centered on a religious exemption in the proposal, violating the state constitution and stalling tenant advocates’ campaign.
• This decision keeps pressure on local governments and developers, as housing affordability remains a contentious issue amid some of the highest US rents.

Massachusetts’s Rent-Control Debate Reaches Judiciary

Landlords and developers secured a significant victory this week in Massachusetts’s long-running rent-control debate. The Wall Street Journal reports that the state’s Supreme Judicial Court on Tuesday struck down a proposed ballot measure to reintroduce rent control statewide, ruling it could not appear before voters this November. The measure was closely watched as one of the most expansive rent-control efforts nationally in years—had it passed, it would have ended the three-decade state ban and capped rent increases to the lesser of inflation or 5%.

This is a notable setback for tenant advocates, who had pushed Massachusetts into the center of a national discussion over rent regulation. Per Zillow, the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Massachusetts is $2,580 per month, about 44% higher than the national average. Efforts to stabilize rents have divided politicians and industry groups, with debate intensifying as affordability worsens in cities like Boston.