Somerville Code of Ordinances ch. 7, art. XII § 7-291
Written notice to tenants required
Operative Text
(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 acknowledgement 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 inten 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.
Under Somerville Code of Ordinances ch. 7, art. XII § 7-291, when a residential property owner lists their building for sale, they must notify every tenant no later than the day the listing goes live. That notice must use a form approved by the Office of Housing Stability, include specific details such as the asking price, unit descriptions, and the owner's contact information, and be delivered either in person with a signed acknowledgment or by certified mail with return receipt. Within 48 hours of the listing going up, the owner must also post a visible notice in a common area of the building.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Compliance with Somerville Code of Ordinances ch. 7, art. XII § 7-291 generally means obtaining the approved notice form from the Office of Housing Stability's website before listing the property. Operators typically deliver the completed form to each tenant on or before the listing date — collecting a signed acknowledgment if delivering in person, or sending it via certified mail with return receipt if mailing — and retain proof of delivery. Within 48 hours of the listing going live, a compliant operator also posts the notice in a conspicuous, tenant-visible location inside the building.
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. XII § 7-291 gives tenants the right to receive written notice that their building is for sale no later than the day it is listed, using a form that must include the asking price and the owner's contact details. If a tenant does not receive this notice — whether in person with a signed acknowledgment or by certified mail — or does not see a posted notice appear within 48 hours of the listing, that may represent a violation of this provision. Tenants who believe this rule has not been followed can contact the Office of Housing Stability directly, whose contact information is required to appear on the notice itself, 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 September 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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