Press Release: 6/15/2026

NEW OP-ED: Rent Control Is a Tax Hike on Massachusetts Homeowners

Yesterday, the Boston Herald published a new op-ed by Fiscal Alliance Foundation Executive Director Paul Diego Craney and tax policy expert Jared Walczak examining one of the least-discussed consequences of rent control: higher property taxes for Massachusetts homeowners.

 

Rent control is often framed as a debate between landlords and renters. But in their op-ed, Craney and Walczak explain why the proposed statewide rent control ballot question would affect homeowners as well.

 

Because property taxes in Massachusetts are driven by local budgets, a decline in rental property values does not make the need for revenue disappear. Instead, the tax burden shifts.

 

Drawing on the findings of a recent Fiscal Alliance Foundation study, the authors explain how rent control would reduce rental property values, shrink the tax base, and increase property tax burdens on homeowners across the Commonwealth.

 

Among the findings highlighted in the op-ed:

 

• The median Massachusetts homeowner would pay approximately $312 more per year in property taxes.

• The average Boston homeowner would pay more than $1,100 extra per year.

• Cities with large rental populations could see some of the most significant tax shifts.

• Homeowners would face higher tax bills even as rent control reduces property values and discourages investment in housing.

 

For homeowners across the Commonwealth, the bottom line is simple: rent control is not just a housing policy. It is a tax increase. And it is one they will be asked to pay.

 

 

Click here to read the Op-Ed at the Boston Herald.

 

Click here to read the Op-Ed at the Fiscal Alliance Foundation Website.

 

Click Here to Read Our Full Press Statement & View the Complete Study.

 

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