Rent Study Committee eyes two-unit exemption

Rent Study Committee · Meeting of July 27, 2026

EASTHAMPTON — Rent Study Committee debated exemptions and caps for a draft rent stabilization petition without taking a vote. A member said he will assemble a working draft for a motion at a later meeting, with a vote targeted for the first September meeting. Members converged on exempting buildings of "two or fewer" units to match the state building code, though they disagreed on keeping an owner-occupancy test.

One member said "big landlords aren't chasing duplexes." Cap ideas ranged from roughly 10 percent to CPI plus 5, near 8 percent. The chair reported more than 45 survey responses, with the survey open through Aug. 14. The committee adjourned.

In the full story:

• Minutes and Public Speak
• Committee Membership
• Home Rule Petition: Process, Timeline and Survey
• The Draft: "May" Versus "Shall" and Unit Exemptions
• Single-Family Rentals, Small Landlords and Other Exemptions
• Setting the Cap
• Banking, Fair Return and Vacancy Decontrol
• Market Context and Adjournment
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,119 words

Source: the Rent Study Committee meeting of July 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.