The rent control question will not be on the November 2026 ballot

What was proposed

Initiative Petition 25-21, titled “An Initiative Petition to Protect Tenants by Limiting Rent Increases”, would have capped annual rent increases on most residential units statewide. As the Boston City Council described it, the cap was a rate tied to the Consumer Price Index or 5 percent a year, whichever is lower, with exemptions including owner-occupied buildings of four or fewer units and newly built buildings during their first ten years.

What the court decided

A group of voters challenged the Attorney General’s certification of the petition. On June 23, 2026, in Cella v. Attorney General, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the petition could not appear on the November 2026 ballot. The case concerned whether the petition met the state constitution’s requirements for initiative petitions.

What stays the same

State law still provides that no city or town may enact, maintain or enforce rent control of any kind, apart from narrow exceptions written into the statute. For renters and landlords, the practical rules in 2026 are the ones already in place: the rent for a renewal is whatever both sides agree to, the lease sets how and when changes take effect, and notice periods follow the lease and state law.

If you have a renewal coming up, read the renewal clause and the notice terms in your current lease now, and get any new rent in writing before your current term ends.

Status as of October 2026

The November 3, 2026 state ballot carries nine statewide questions. The Secretary of the Commonwealth’s voter guide lists them, and rent control is not among them. Any future statewide change would need new legislation or a new petition process.