Here is some info your listeners might find helpful to better understand the new Rental Registry.  

From Dominique Hurley 

Director of Public Health

Here is some info your listeners might find helpful to better understand the new Rental Registry.  

Important to understand, but not included in the general release, is that we in the Health Department are stopping pre-inspections because they are almost wholly duplicative of inspections the Building Department already has to do.  Stopping those inspections frees up time for us to help tenants with housing complaints.  Housing complaints will receive full inspections.  Also, any landlord can call us and ask for an inspection to be sure they have everything right, and we are happy to help them. 

Hope you all have some time to help clarify some of the swirl going around right now on social media, and I am available to answer any other questions you might have. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

11/19/2025
Don’t Ignore It: Gloucester Health Department Reminds Rental Property Owners to Register
Gloucester, MA — The Health Department reminds all property owners who collect rental income that mailed letters regarding rental property registration are legitimate and require immediate attention.
On April 10, the Board of Health updated the City rental regulations to simplify compliance and reduce costs. Previously, landlords needed a pre-inspection and paid $90 per unit to obtain a Certificate of Rental Dwelling. Under the new rules, property owners register all rental units annually for a single $30 fee per building after reading and acknowledging their obligations as landlords. The registry also captures information for short-term rentals and issues those permits. Fees for short-term rentals, as defined by City Code of Ordinance (Section 5-63), are in addition to the $30 Rental Registry fee.
“We currently have over 4,000 rental units added to the registry which we believe to be about 80% of rental units in the City,” says Dominique Hurley, City of Gloucester Health Director. “Our goal with this change is to reduce the cost burden to the landlords and improve unit safety and habitability for tenants by educating landlords on the State requirements for rental properties, as well as making the public aware of valid, registered rental properties.”
Once registered, landlords will gain access to a growing list of services for property owners provided by the City and community organizations. “We want to partner with landlords for their success,” says Hurley, “and we’ll be adding tenant programming soon that enforces their rights and obligations. Safe living conditions come from a well maintained unit and a responsible tenant–it takes that partnership to create safe and habitable living conditions.”
Property owners can register their rental properties penalty-free by November 30, 2025. Failure to register by this deadline can result in fines of up to $500 per day for unregistered properties. “We really hope rental property owners come forward and register by the deadline,” says Hurley. “After that point we will have to bring them before the Board of Health who will assess their case and may impose fines. The new registry is faster and cheaper for our landlords, but the Board felt strongly that compliance enforcement was important to protect tenant safety.”“As everyone is aware, housing is an important issue not only for many individuals but for the vitality of the City as well. The Board sincerely hopes that the recent changes in our regulations will make more rental units available and ensure that those units are safe and habitable”  said Joe Rosa, Chairman, Board of Health. The new registry also supports other important public safety measures because it captures information such as emergency contact and number of units in a building which is important for emergency responders such as police and fire. Enroll in the Rental Registry by visiting the Health Department web page on the City of Gloucester web site or by keying in this URL:https://tinyurl.com/RentalRegistryGloucester.For more information, contact the Health Department at , or visit the City Hall Annex on 3 Pond Rd for assistance. 
Rental Registry applications are available online only, paper applications are not accepted.  If you don’t have access to a computer, you can use one for free at the City Hall Annex.  If you can not physically come to the City Hall Annex, the Health Department can help you over the phone.  If you don’t have an email address, please contact our office by phone for assistance.The Health Department urges landlords to act now to avoid fines, and thanks them for their help in keeping our City safe for all.