The City Council has introduced an ordinance to publish a biannual list of Boston’s worst landlords. The new “Bad Landlords List” will document property owners with persistent, serious housing code violations and increase transparency for Boston’s renters.

The ordinance establishes a point-based system to identify chronic offenders. Owners ‘earn’ points for failing to correct sanitary and fire code violations, pay outstanding fines, or comply with rental registration and inspection requirements. Twice a year, qualifying property owners will be named and shamed on a public list published by the City.

“Every tenant in Boston has the right to a safe, sanitary, and healthy place to live,” said Council President Liz Breadon. “For the vast majority of property owners who follow the law, this ordinance will have little to no impact. But for the chronic offenders who repeatedly ignore housing laws and profit from their tenants’ misery, your days of operating with impunity in Boston are numbered.”

“We know that absentee and scofflaw landlords are worsening the quality of life for so many Boston residents. We need higher fines, stronger collection mechanisms, and even a Worst Landlords List,” added District 4 Councilor Brian Worrell.

Landlords that find themselves among the worst in Boston will be prohibited from doing business with the city, obtaining grants or zoning relief, and engaging in the Article 80 process. They can also expect increased inspections and the maximum fine amounts allowed by law. Landlords will have the opportunity to get off of the list by correcting violations and paying outstanding fines.

In Chicago, bad landlords are put on a “Building Code Scofflaw List,” subject to similar penalties. New York City releases a list of its 100 worst landlords annually. In 2025, top offenders had thousands of standing code violations each, with the number one worst landlords in NYC, A&E Real Estate Holdings president Margaret Brunn and asset manager Donald Hastings, amassing the most violations in the list’s history. 

Breadon has spent much of October collecting and sharing constituent stories of their worst landlords. In a survey released by her office, responders highlighted landlords ignoring housing standards set by the City. In a series of “Bad Landlord Stories,” tenants reported leaking ceilings, pest infestations, mold contamination, and hostile tenant-owner relationships.

“I am currently dealing with a year-long cockroach infestation impacting my whole building,” one response said. “After many months of calling [our landlord] and opening tickets on our web portal, the answer we received was an exterminator inspector who laid glue traps down… There continues to be no legal action”

The ordinance received unanimous support and was referred to the Committee on Government Operations.