Security Requirements for Elderly/Handicapped Multi-Family Housing Developments.
Boston Municipal Code § 9-11.2
in effect9-11.2 Security Requirements for Elderly/Handicapped Multi-Family Housing Developments.
(A) The Commissioner of the Inspectional Services Department shall promulgate regulations, pursuant to his or her authority under M.G.L. Chapter 111, Section 127A, and consistent with the requirements of the commonwealth’s Sanitary Code and this Section. These regulations shall take effect within 90 days of the effective date of this Section, and shall require that every landlord of an elderly/handicapped multi-family housing development, within 30 days of receipt of notice from the Commissioner, either elect to:
(1) Provide Safety Officers for such development on a 24 hour per day, seven day per week basis. The Safety Officers’ duties shall include, without limitation, the monitoring of all building entrances in such elderly/handicapped development; or
(2) Provide security measures as identified in a security plan which has been developed and approved in compliance with the provisions of Subsections 9-11.3 and 9-11.4.
(B) Thereafter, once a landlord has elected to either provide Safety Officers as provided above or to provide a security plan, the landlord shall have the continuing duty to provide such Officers or to provide the security measures identified in the security plan. A landlord may choose, after initially electing one of the above alternatives, to switch to the other with approval of the Inspectional Services Department, but must continue to provide Safety Officers or the security measures mandated by the security plan pending such approval. The landlord’s submission seeking approval for a switch in alternatives must be carried out in accordance with Subsections 9-11.3 and 9-11.4. Failure to continue to provide Safety Officers or the security measures mandated by a security plan shall constitute a violation of this Section and shall be subject to enforcement under Subsection 9-11.6.
(C) The Commissioner shall, within 90 days of the effective date of this Section, identify all elderly/handicapped developments within its scope. In identifying these developments, the Commissioner shall consult with the Commissioner for the Elderly. Thereafter, the Commissioner shall notify all landlords of elderly/handicapped developments of the operation of this Section, and of their duty to elect to either provide Safety Officers on a 24-hour basis, or to request a crime prevention survey. Such notices shall be sent out on a phased basis so that, within a 12-month period, all elderly/handicapped developments within the city shall have received such notices. Copies of this Section and the Commissioner’s regulations shall be provided at no cost whenever an applicant seeks a building permit for an elderly/handicapped housing development covered by this Section.
(D) If, within 30 days after receipt of a notice under this Subsection or a notice of non-compliance under Subsection 9-1.6 for failure to provide Security Officers or have an approved security plan, a landlord has requested a crime prevention survey by the Boston Police Department, triggering the first stage in the provision of a security plan, the landlord shall be relieved of the responsibility of providing Safety Officers as required above unless and until a security plan has been approved.
(CBC 1985 9-11.2; Ord. 1989 c. 4 § 1 [501])
Editor’s note:
This Section was adopted by Ordinances of 1989, Chapter 4, on February 8, 1989, and approved by the Mayor on February 27, 1989.
Source: City of Boston, Massachusetts, Boston Municipal Code and City Charter (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/boston/latest/boston_ma/0-0-0-6210Fetched: 11/8/2026