Politics & Government

Somerville Considers Boston-Style Apartment Inspections

Inspired by a newly enacted ordinance in Boston, Somerville will consider registering and inspecting apartment units.

Boston recently enacted an ordinance that requires landlords to register their rental apartments and allow the Inspectional Services Department to conduct inspections every five years.

Now, the Somerville Board of Aldermen will consider doing something similar.

The Board of Aldermen passed a measure Thursday night asking the Public Utilities and Public Works Committee to explore the option of writing an ordinance like Boston's.

Alderman At-Large Dennis Sullivan, who proposed the measure, called Boston's ordinance "exciting" and said, "I think it's something worth looking into."

The challenge in Somerville, he said, is that there aren't enough inspectors in the city's Inspectional Services Division.

"This would take a massive hiring in our inspectional services," he said.

He said an ordinance like Boston's "could be onerous on our property owners, but it could be worth looking into."

Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston supported the idea, saying, "I think it's a wonderful idea. We'll probably craft something a little different" than what they did in Boston.

"I know there are a lot of illegal units in the city, too," she said.

The Public Utilities and Public Works Committee will probably take up the matter at a meeting in October.


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