Condominium and Cooperative Conversion Ordinance

The Ordinance requires that tenants be provided notice of the intent to convert.  A template Tenant Notification Form is available here in English and in 10 additional languages further below on this page. The notice informs tenants of the rights and benefits they have in a conversion: one year lease extension, first right of refusal to purchase the unit, $10,000 in relocation benefits. Tenants who meet certain eligibility requirements have additional rights: five-year lease extension, $15,000 in relocation benefits. Tenants eligible for these additional rights are those who are:

• are 62 or older
• have a disability, or
• have a low-to-moderate income (less than 80 percent of Area Median Income).

Ordinance violations are subject to fines of $300 or more per violation per day.

 Read the full ordinance here.

Landlords must apply to the Mayor's Office of Housing for a Condominium or Cooperative Conversion Plan, even if all the units are vacant. The landlord must submit an application within one month of notifying tenants of the intent to convert.

Apply

If you have any questions or would like to submit documentation, please email condocoop@boston.gov or call 617-635-3880 to leave a message and get a call back.

Information for Tenants

Ordinance-protected Tenant Rights

The Condominium and Cooperative Conversion Ordinance ensures the following rights for all tenants, to reduce the disruption and housing instability that condo and cooperative housing conversions can cause. 

• Right to Notice: Property owners must inform tenants of units being converted as soon as they establish their intent to convert. The property owner must provide you with a Tenant Notification Form, stating their intent to convert and explaining your Ordinance-protected rights.
• Right to Continued Occupancy: Tenants are each eligible for a one-year lease extension at the same or similar existing leasing terms from the date the property owner informs them of the intent to convert. Seniors, tenants with disabilities, or low- and moderate-income tenants are eligible for a five-year lease extension. If your lease term is longer than what the Ordinance extension would offer, then you have the right to remain until the lease term expires. If you are a tenant-at-will, you will need to sign a one- or five-year lease agreement to remain in the unit.

• Right to Purchase: As the current tenant, you have the first right of refusal to purchase the converted condo unit. If the property owner is decreasing the number of units, then tenants will be entered into a lottery to purchase the unit. The only case where the right to purchase is waived is when the property owner intends to sell the units to direct kin (within 4 degrees).

• Right to Relocation Benefits: If tenants choose not to purchase the unit, they are eligible to receive $10,000 per unit as relocation benefits from the property owner. Seniors, tenants with disabilities, or low- and moderate-income tenants receive $15,000. If your unit will split into multiple households after relocation, the relocation benefit will be split among them. For example, if two people live in Unit A together but will separate into two households after relocating, each individual tenant would receive $5,000 ($10,000 / 2 households created = $5,000 each).

• Right to Terminate Tenancy: Tenants have the right to terminate their rental agreement without penalty, as long as they give property owners a thirty-day (30) notice.

• Rights During Renovations: Property owners do have the right to begin conversion-related renovations on units during the lease extension period. However, tenants are entitled to freedom from unreasonable disruption and breach of quiet enjoyment as a result of renovations.

• Right to Request a Hearing: If at any point, tenants or owners feel the other is not complying with the Condominium and Cooperative Conversion Ordinance, they may request a hearing from the Mayor’s Office of Housing or the Inspectional Services Department.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email condocoop@boston.gov.

If you have any questions relating to housing stability, please contact the Office of Housing Stability.