Newton, Mass., City Ordinances §§ 20-148–20-159 § 20-155
Responsibilities of Licensees and Resident Supervising Agents regarding Residents
Operative Text
(a) Agreements with Residents. Licensees shall have written agreements with lodgers and supply the Licensing
Board a copy of agreements with lodgers and any related documents. Licensees may not enter into agreements
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with residents that are inconsistent with the terms of these regulations, including, but not limited to, the
regulations requiring licenses to inspect occupied and unoccupied rooming units and requiring licensees to
institute certain House Rules.
(b) Minors. No room shall be let to any unemancipated person who is younger than eighteen (18) years of age.
(c) Occupancy. No licensee shall vary the occupancy of the licensed premises as certified by the Inspectional
Services Department.
(d) Resident and Guest Registries. The licensee of every lodging house shall keep or cause to be kept, in
permanent form, a registry of residents. Such register shall contain the true name or name in ordinary use and the
last residence of every person engaging or occupying a private room together with a true and accurate record of
the room assigned to such person and of the day and hour of move-in and move-out. The entry of names of the
residents shall be made by the residents themselves. Copies of these records shall always be maintained and be
available for inspection by any City official.
Guests shall be registered in a separate guest registry with day and time of entry and exit listed.
(e) House Rules. Licensees and their agent(s) shall institute house rules as necessary to prevent the lodging
house from being a cause of complaint to the Police Department or a cause of nuisance or annoyance to the
neighbors or neighborhood.
(1) House rules should make residents aware of the City’s ordinances and the licensee’s policies, which shall
be in writing and be reviewed by the Inspectional Services and Planning & Development Departments. At
a minimum, house rules shall adequately address the following:
a) Noise control, including use of audio equipment that may disturb the peace.
b) Adherence to laws regarding disorderly behavior.
c) Proper garbage disposal and sanitary storage of food.
d) Cleanliness of rooming units and common areas.
e) Unobstructed egress paths.
f) Compliance with Electrical Use Policy.
g) Prohibition of use of fire escapes for general access to rooming units.
h) Prohibition of tampering or removal of life safety devices.
i) Guest policy.
j) Pet policy.
k) Any other provisions as may be required by the Licensing Board or City Officials.
l) Consequences for repeat violations of the House Rules or the requirements of these regulations, up to
and including eviction.
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(2) Licensees or agents shall ensure all residents are aware of the house rules by distributing them at move-in,
posting them in a visible place in the common area, and distributing updated copies when changes are
made.
(3) Any change to the house rules shall be submitted to the Inspectional Services and Planning &
Development Departments for review.
(f) Electrical Use Policy. Licensees and their agent(s) shall institute an electrical use policy to prevent the
lodging house from being a fire risk to the residents and neighborhood.
(1) Licensees and their agent(s) shall institute an electrical use policy to be approved by the Fire Prevention
Bureau and Inspectional Services Departments. At a minimum, electrical use policies shall adequately
address the following:
a) Prohibition of use of portable heaters.
b) Prohibition of use of candles or other items that require burning (incense, odor oils, etc.).
c) Prohibition of use of cooking appliances other than non-convection microwaves in rooming units,
including prohibition of: toasters, toaster ovens, electric hot plates, gas plates, ovens, stoves
(including stoves using sterno or other fuel), or grills. The licensee may, at his/her discretion, prohibit
the use of non-convection microwaves in rooming units.
(2) Licensees or agents shall ensure all residents are aware of the electric use policy by distributing it at move-
in, posting it in a visible place in the common area, and distributing updated copies when changes are
made.
(3) Any change to the electrical use policy shall be submitted to the Inspectional Services Department and
Fire Prevention Bureau for review.Newton City Ordinances § 20-155 establishes a comprehensive set of operational requirements for licensed lodging houses in Newton, Massachusetts. The provision governs how licensees must handle written agreements with lodgers, maintain resident and guest registries, restrict occupancy to emancipated adults 18 and older, and implement written house rules and electrical use policies. These rules are designed to ensure lodging houses operate safely, remain good neighbors, and keep city officials informed about who lives on the premises and under what conditions.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 20-155, compliant lodging house operators maintain written agreements with every lodger and file copies with the Licensing Board, ensuring those agreements do not conflict with city regulations. Operators keep permanent resident and guest registries—with entries made by residents themselves—available at all times for city inspection, and they never exceed the occupancy level certified by the Inspectional Services Department. They also draft written house rules and an electrical use policy (the latter approved by the Fire Prevention Bureau and Inspectional Services), distribute both documents at move-in, post them visibly in common areas, and submit any updates to the appropriate city departments for review before distributing revised copies to residents.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section § 20-155 gives lodgers in Newton lodging houses certain baseline protections: they are entitled to a written agreement, and that agreement cannot include terms that contradict city regulations—such as waiving the licensee's duty to inspect units or follow required house rules. Residents also have the right to know the house rules and electrical use policy from the moment they move in, and those policies must be posted in common areas. If a lodging house appears to be operating without these required documents, or if an agreement seems to conflict with city regulations, tenants can contact Newton's Inspectional Services Department or the Licensing Board to raise concerns or request an inspection.
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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