Everett, Mass., Code of Bylaws art iii habitation § 10-27
Inspection Request Before Occupancy (Everett Art. III Certificate of Habitability)
Operative Text
( Ord. of 12-13-2003 ; Ord. of 05-24-2005 ; amended C0196-18 ) (a) The owner must request a legal use of status from the Building Department of the City of Everett prior to renting a vacant dwelling unit. Said inspection shall be limited to the unit in question and all common areas, except as provided in paragraph (d) herein. (b) An application fee is due at the time of request for an application. The fee shall be determined by the Health Department of the City of Everett with the approval of the Everett City Council. The fee for the certificate application shall be $25.00. (c) Owners who qualify for an exemption under MGL Chapter 59, Section 5 , Clause 41C will be exempt from paying the fee. (d) At the time of the inspection, if the inspector has reasonable grounds to believe that a life/safety issue exists on the property, then that issue may be inspected. If any individual with the authority to do so invites the inspector into another portion of the building to evaluate a potential issue, and that issue is determined not to be a life/safety issue, the occupant will be directed to the proper City department to file their complaint. (e) Any enhanced inspection of the premises, conducted in compliance with the conditions in section (d) herein, shall not invalidate the results of the unit inspection nor that of the common areas.
Under Everett, Mass., Code of Bylaws ART. III HABITATION § 10-27, before a vacant dwelling unit can be rented, the property owner must request a legal-use-of-status inspection from the Everett Building Department. The inspection covers the specific unit and all common areas, with a $25.00 application fee payable at the time of request — though owners who qualify under MGL Chapter 59, Section 5, Clause 41C are exempt from that fee. If an inspector encounters reasonable grounds to suspect a life or safety issue elsewhere on the property, that area may also be examined, but any such expanded inspection does not affect the validity of the primary unit or common-area inspection results.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Compliant property owners in Everett generally submit a request for a legal-use-of-status inspection to the Building Department — along with the $25.00 application fee — before placing a vacant unit back on the rental market, as required by ART. III HABITATION § 10-27. Operators who believe they qualify for a fee exemption under MGL Chapter 59, Section 5, Clause 41C should be prepared to document that eligibility at the time of application. Because the inspection scope can expand if an inspector identifies reasonable grounds to believe a life or safety issue exists elsewhere on the property, maintaining the entire premises in good repair supports a smooth pre-occupancy inspection process.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under Everett, Mass., Code of Bylaws ART. III HABITATION § 10-27, prospective tenants have an interest in knowing that a landlord is required to obtain a legal-use-of-status inspection before renting a vacant unit, which is intended to ensure the unit and common areas meet applicable standards before occupancy begins. If a tenant has reason to believe this pre-occupancy inspection was not completed, they may consider raising that concern with the Everett Building Department or Health Department, or reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization for general guidance. Tenants who observe conditions that may constitute a life or safety issue in other parts of the building can also direct those concerns to the appropriate City department, as outlined in § 10-27(d).
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 11, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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