Do this today
- Photograph the condition. Write the date.
- Dial 311 or file with Boston Inspectional Services.
- If there is no heat, no water, or a gas smell: 911 or the utility first.
What does “livable” mean in Boston?
Heat, water, sanitation, and structural safety are the usual floor. The exact list is in Massachusetts estates for years and summary process statutes and often in the city housing code Boston Inspectional Services enforces. This desk does not reprint temperature charts or hour-counts.
What if nothing happens after I report it?
Keep the request numbers from 311 or Boston Inspectional Services. Take that file to legal aid. Do not skip rent on a rumor. If the condition is dangerous tonight — no heat in winter, a gas leak, a collapsed ceiling — treat it as an emergency.
The Boston layer
Inspectional Services is the Boston conditions door. Housing Court is the possession door. Confirm any Boston-only ordinance on the City site.
Massachusetts estates for years and summary process statutes (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186; ch. 239) is the Massachusetts floor. We name it. We do not paraphrase a day-count or a dollar cap out of it.
Boston questions
What if there is no heat or no water in Boston?
Treat it as urgent. Dial 311 or file with Boston Inspectional Services. If it is dangerous tonight, 911 or the utility. Then write it down and call legal aid before you skip rent.
What number should I call in Boston?
Danger: 911. Mental-health crisis: 988. City services: 311. Court papers: LawHelp.org the same day. Boston Inspectional Services does not replace legal aid when a case is filed.
National answers on this desk
Last reviewed 8 September 2026. Legal information, not legal advice. Not a law firm. hello@renterprotection.org