Somerville, Mass., Ord. ch. 7 art. I § 7-1
Posting of name and address of owner or agent
Operative Text
(a) An owner of a dwelling which is rented for residential use, who does not reside therein and who does not employ a manager or agent for such dwelling who resides therein, shall post and maintain or cause to be posted and maintained on such dwelling adjacent to the mailboxes for such dwelling or elsewhere in the interior of such dwelling in a location on the entry level visible to the residents and reasonably likely to be readily accessed by the residents a notice, constructed of durable material, not less than 20 square inches in size, bearing his or her name, address and telephone number. If the owner is a realty trust or partnership, the name, address and telephone number of the managing trustee or partner shall be posted. If the owner is a corporation, the name, address and telephone number of the president of the corporation shall be posted. Where the owner employs a manager or agent who does not reside in such dwelling, such manager or agent's name, address and telephone number shall also be included in the notice. All notices pursuant to this section shall include a statement, on a form prescribed by the city, that a tenant who believes that there is a health code, building code, fire code, or sanitary code violation may arrange for a code inspection by contacting the City of Somerville Constituent Service Department. Such notice shall provide the phone number and address for the City of Somerville Constituent Service Department. (b) Enforcement. The penalty for violation of any provision of this section shall be in accordance with section 1-11 (b) of the Somerville Code of Ordinances. Each day on which a violation exists shall be deemed a separate violation. There shall be at least seven days between violations issued for offenses in violation of the provisions of this section. The provisions of this section may be enforced in accordance with the noncriminal disposition process of M.G.L. c. 40, § 21D, provided that this section shall not preclude the City of Somerville from proceeding to restrain a violation by injunction. The superintendent of ISD may promulgate written rules and regulations necessary to implement and enforce the provisions of this section. (c) Effective date of section. This section shall take effect 60 days from the date of passage.
Somerville Code of Ordinances ch. 7, art. I § 7-1 requires non-resident owners of rented dwellings to post a durable notice — at least 20 square inches — near the mailboxes or another visible, accessible entry-level location, displaying the owner's name, address, and telephone number. If the owner is a trust, partnership, or corporation, the managing trustee, partner, or corporate president's contact information must appear instead. The notice must also include information about how residents can request a code inspection through the City of Somerville Constituent Service Department, using a city-prescribed form. Violations are treated as separate offenses for each day they persist, subject to at least a seven-day gap between issued citations.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Somerville Code of Ordinances ch. 7, art. I § 7-1, compliant non-resident property owners generally ensure that a properly sized, durable notice bearing the required contact information is posted in a visible, entry-level location at all times. If a non-resident manager or agent is employed, their contact details are included alongside the owner's. Operators also confirm that the notice incorporates the city-prescribed statement directing residents to the Somerville Constituent Service Department for code inspection requests, keeping that information current to avoid day-by-day violations.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Somerville Code of Ordinances ch. 7, art. I § 7-1 gives residents the right to see a clearly posted notice identifying who owns or manages their building and how to reach them, along with information about requesting a code inspection through the City of Somerville Constituent Service Department. If this notice is missing or incomplete, a violation may be reported to the city, and each day the notice remains absent can count as a separate offense. Tenants who believe their building is out of compliance may contact the Somerville Constituent Service Department directly or reach out to a local tenant-rights organization to understand available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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