On February 24, 2022, the Salem City Council voted to submit a Home Rule petition to the State Legislature, which would allow the city to enact a local condominium conversion ordinance for buildings containing two or more residential units. The ordinance, which has not yet been written, may include the following:
Provisions for investigations and hearings on condominium conversions or proposed conversions
A permit process
Tenant notification requirements
Relocation costs for tenants
Control of evictions
Penalties for violating the ordinance
Afford tenants and the city the right to purchase the residential property in which the tenant resides when the residential property is being offered for sale.
The Massachusetts state condominium conversion ordinance applies to any residential property conversion that has four or more rental units. The local condominium conversion ordinance can only be approved after Salem successfully petitions the State Legislature. With the petition process expected to take several months, the Salem City Council is now beginning to draft the accompanying ordinance.
