Notice of Building Sale 5-21-2026 — File 26-0882

CITY OF SOMERVILLE ORDINANCE NO. 2026- IN CITY COUNCIL: ________, 2026 Be it ordained by the City Council, in session assembled, that Chapter 7 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Somerville is amended as follows by inserting the following Article XII. ARTICLE XII. NOTICE OF BUILDING SALE Sec. 7-290. – Applicability. The provisions of this article apply to tenanted residential rental property with the following exceptions: (1) rental units in a hospital, skilled nursing facility, or health facility; (2) rental units in a nonprofit facility that has the primary purpose of providing short term treatment, assistance or therapy for alcohol, drug or other substance abuse, meant to last thirty or less days, where housing is incidental to the recovery program and the client has been informed in writing at the beginning of their stay of the short term, temporary, or transitional nature of the housing; (3) publicly-assisted housing, as defined in M.G.L c. 40T, § 1; (4) public housing units owned or managed by, or with a ground lease from, the local housing authority; (5) property owned by a college or university occupied exclusively by students; (6) transfer by devise, descent, or operation of law upon the death of a natural person; (7) city foreclosed on property pursuant to M.G.L. c.60, §77B; (8) property that is the subject of a government taking by eminent domain or a negotiated purchase in lieu of eminent domain; or, (9) rental units in a nonprofit facility that provides a structured living environment, has the primary purpose of helping homeless persons obtain the skills necessary for independent living in permanent housing, where occupancy is restricted to a limited and specific period of time no longer than two years, and where the client has been informed in writing at the beginning of their stay of the temporary or transitional nature of the housing. Sec. 7-291. –Written notice to tenants required. (a) When an owner of residential property occupied by at least one tenant lists the property for sale, they shall, on or before the date on which the property is listed for sale, notify each tenant that the building is available for purchase. (1) Notice shall be delivered to each tenant, either in person, and the owner shall collect a signed acknowledgment of receipt, or by certified mail with return receipt requested. (2) The notice shall be in a form approved by the Office of Housing Stability and obtainable on its website. The form shall contain, at minimum, the following information: (A) an owner’s statement of intent to sell the property; (B) the name, mailing address, email address and telephone number of the owner; (C) a description of the property for sale, including the number of units and the number of bedrooms within each unit; (D) the asking price for the property; and, (E) contact information for the Office of Housing Stability. (b) The owner shall post notice in a conspicuous place in a location visible to tenants within forty-eight hours after the unit is posted for sale.

Sec. 7-292. – Enforcement. The provisions of this article shall be enforced by the Office of Housing Stability by a non-criminal disposition pursuant to M.G.L c. 40, § 21D, by the director or their designee. Each failure to comply with the requirements of this article with respect to an individual tenant shall be deemed a separate offense, triggering a separate warning or fine. A person or entity violating the provisions of this article shall be punished by fine in accordance with the provisions of § 1-11(b) of the Code of Ordinances. Sec. 7-293. – Effective Date. This ordinance shall become effective 90 days after passage. Be it further ordained by the city council that Section 1-11(b) of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Somerville is hereby amended by inserting the following: Offense Fine Enforcing Personnel Notice of Building Sale (CHAPTER 7, Article XII) $300.00 Office of Housing Stability Approved: President Approved: Mayor