The new ordinance addresses housing discrimination and ensures fair, dignified treatment of renters in a city where 71% of residents are renters, with 22% of these households receiving public or rental assistance.
CHELSEA, MA–The City of Chelsea has become the first municipality in the state of Massachusetts to require all property managers overseeing rental housing within the city to obtain a property manager license. The law, which went into effect on July 1, 2025, was drafted in response to long-standing inequities in housing access and quality that have disproportionately impacted Chelsea’s working-class, immigrant, and historically marginalized communities.
The new law strengthens accountability among property managers, many of whom have operated with little oversight in a city where 71% of residents are renters, and 22% of households receive public or rental assistance, reflecting the affordability crisis and the vulnerability of many Chelsea families to exploitation.
Chelsea City Manager Fidel Maltez, who entered his role in January 2024, said, “Too many Chelsea residents have endured unsafe or substandard housing because property managers were allowed to cut corners or ignore tenant concerns. This ordinance is about raising the standards and making sure everyone in our city is treated with the human dignity and respect they deserve.”
The ordinance was designed to improve housing conditions and confront the legacy of discriminatory housing policies, such as redlining and racially restrictive covenants, which systematically excluded communities of color from access to stable and high-quality housing. Chelsea neighborhoods that were once redlined continue to face patterns of disinvestment and inequity, compounded by modern zoning policies that restrict housing choice and affordability.
“This ordinance is about righting wrongs,” said Ben Cares, Director of Housing & Community Development for the City of Chelsea. “It holds property managers accountable and helps protect tenants who have too often been taken advantage of, particularly our immigrant neighbors, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income residents.”
Nearly half of the city’s residents are foreign-born (47%), and 66% identify as Latino, a figure that grew 31% from 2010 to 2020. 33% of households have children, compared to 24% in surrounding areas. Chelsea also has one of the highest percentages of residents with disabilities (12.7%) in the region.
To obtain a license, property managers must:
- Be in good standing with the City of Chelsea
- Comply with all relevant local and state regulations
- Have no outstanding citations or fines
- Resolve any orders to correct issued by the City
Property managers who operate without a valid license will be subject to fines. Licenses will be issued through the City’s Law Department.
For an application or a full copy of the ordinance and its requirements, property managers may contact: Naomi Libran, Licensing Administrator nlibran@chelseama.gov
The ordinance is codified under Article 1, Section 6-6 of the City of Chelsea Ordinances. For the Rules and Regulations of the Licensing Commission, visit https://library.municode.com/ma/chelsea/codes/code_of_ordinances
For more information, please contact the Law Department at 617-466-4152.
