Somerville, Mass., Code of Ordinances ch. 7, art. VII (2026) § 7-153
Collection of records - Directory
Operative Text
Each and every school in any part of the city shall collect and maintain a directory of the names, complete addresses, statuses (i.e. undergraduate or graduate, part-time or full time), expected graduation dates, and telephone numbers of all students enrolled at the school. In addition, the school shall collect and maintain a list of all properties currently owned, leased, rented, or operated by the school for use as students’ residences. The addresses and telephone numbers collected for the purposes of these sections must reflect where the student actually resides locally and at what phone number the student can be reached for the period in which the student resides in the city. Each and every school shall collect the required directory information no less than twice each calendar year such that any school on a semester system shall collect and update the required directory information no later than 30 calendar days following the first day of each semester, and any school on a quarterly system shall collect and update the required directory information no later than 30 calendar days following the first day of the first quarter of each academic year, and every alternating quarter of the academic year thereafter. Upon collection, all information collected for the directory shall be organized and maintained by the school in such a way that the required information is easily accessible and understandable to any authorized school official. All schools shall be responsible for publicizing to their students the limitations of the city’s zoning ordinance which limits occupancy to not more than four unrelated individuals.
Somerville Code of Ordinances ch. 7, art. VII § 7-153 requires every school operating within Somerville to build and maintain a directory of enrolled students that captures their actual local addresses, phone numbers, enrollment status, and expected graduation dates. Schools must also keep a separate list of all housing properties they own, lease, or operate for student use. This directory must be updated at least twice per academic year—within 30 days of each semester's start for semester-based schools, or on an alternating quarterly schedule for quarter-based schools—and must be organized so that authorized school officials can readily access and understand it. Schools are also required to inform their students that Somerville's zoning rules cap occupancy at no more than four unrelated individuals per dwelling.
Plain English — not legal advice.
While § 7-153 places its primary obligations on schools rather than private landlords, property owners who rent to students in Somerville should be aware that schools are required to track the actual local addresses where students reside. Compliant operators generally ensure that the addresses provided to tenants and used in lease agreements accurately reflect the physical location of the rental unit, since schools are obligated to record where students actually live. Landlords who rent to more than four unrelated individuals should also be aware that § 7-153 requires schools to publicize Somerville's four-unrelated-persons occupancy limit to their students.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under Somerville Code of Ordinances ch. 7, art. VII § 7-153, your school is required to maintain a directory using the address where you actually live locally—not a home address or campus mailbox—so it is important that the address you provide to your school reflects your true local residence. The same provision requires schools to notify students about Somerville's zoning rule limiting occupancy to four unrelated individuals, which may affect the living arrangements you are permitted to enter into. If you have questions about how this provision interacts with your housing situation, tenant-rights organizations in Somerville or the city's relevant offices can be a starting point for general information.
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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