Problems Paying Rent

There are times when residents disagree with their rent amount, have a dispute over a past due balance or need help working out a payment plan. 

While rent is usually due by the 5th of each month, the lease allows a resident and his/her manager to agree on another schedule. State law also gives you the right to pay your rent before the day your answer is due in an eviction case. However, you should discuss this sooner with the manager to avoid court costs that can be imposed if you wait until the last moment. Making arrangements with the manager can also avoid late fees of $25 that can be imposed for state public housing tenants. 

You have the right to use BHA’s Grievance Procedure to dispute your rent amount. You should look at the written notice of rent change to see what factors BHA used in setting your rent. You can also ask for a meeting with the manager to discuss the rent; sometimes this will fix the problem. Grievance rights are included on all rent change letters. Grievances should be in writing and filed within 30 days of BHA’s action (or failure to act). 

Rental Relief 

The Boston Housing Authority actively workes with city and state partners to ensure that residents and voucher participants can access rental relief and preserve their tenancies. Please see below for more information.

For BHA’s public housing residents and voucher participants:

Boston area residents and landlords facing rental arrears can apply for the RAFT program with the State of Massachusetts, which can offer qualifying Massachusetts residents up to $7,000 of rental assistance per household. Learn more about the RAFT program here. 

For additional support:

The Attorney General’s office (AGO) can help connect residents with rental relief or eviction prevention opportunities. Email the AGO here: https://www.mass.gov/forms/eviction-help-request?s=09.