Boston Municipal Code ch. 10-2 § 10-2.15
Suspicious Fires
Operative Text
In the event that any owner of property under conversion to condominiums or cooperatives suffers loss in three or more such properties because of fire, the records of the Building Department and the Assessing Department shall indicate such conditions by the addition of the plans, maps, printouts and records of the city of the words “loss by fire” on the affected structures. Any fire in a unit undergoing conversion determined by the Fire Commissioner to be a suspicious origin shall be identified in said plans, maps, printouts and records by the addition of the words “suspicious fire”.
Boston Municipal Code ch. 10-2 § 10-2.15 establishes a public record-flagging system tied to fires occurring in properties undergoing condominium or cooperative conversion. When an owner experiences fire losses across three or more such properties, the city's Building and Assessing Department records are updated to reflect those losses on the affected structures. Additionally, if the Fire Commissioner determines that a fire in a conversion unit was of suspicious origin, that finding is separately noted in official city plans, maps, printouts, and records with the designation 'suspicious fire.'
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Boston Municipal Code ch. 10-2 § 10-2.15, property owners converting buildings to condominiums or cooperatives should be aware that fire losses and suspicious-fire determinations are recorded in official city documents maintained by the Building and Assessing Departments. Compliant operators generally maintain transparent records and cooperate fully with Fire Department investigations, since any suspicious-origin finding by the Fire Commissioner becomes a permanent notation on the property's official city records. These notations are visible to prospective buyers, lenders, and city officials reviewing the property's history.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Boston Municipal Code ch. 10-2 § 10-2.15 gives tenants and the public a way to check whether a building undergoing conversion has a history of fire losses or suspicious fires, since those designations are recorded in city Building and Assessing Department documents. Tenants living in a conversion property can request to review these official city records to learn whether any such flags exist on their building. Those who believe a fire in their building may have been handled improperly can contact the Boston Fire Department, the city's Inspectional Services Department, or a local tenant-rights organization for guidance on available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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