MA H1796

Requires banks to create escrow accounts for tenants withholding rent due to housing code violations, payable only upon signatures of both tenant and landlord or by court order

Tenants must deposit withheld rent into escrow (court account, attorney-controlled account, or bank escrow) at the time rent becomes due to claim relief for uninhabitable conditions

Requires board of health certification that premises violate habitability standards before tenants can withhold rent, plus written notice to landlord at least 15 days before withholding

Landlords have 15 days after written notice to remedy certified code violations, or longer if due diligence requires additional time

Tenants receiving government rental assistance where assistance is withheld due to landlord's code violations need only deposit their unassisted portion of rent