RR
Rent Regulations

Cambridge Code of Ordinances ch. 2.76 § 2.76.170

Applicability—Police powers

In Force
Verified 9/13/2026 · Next check 12/12/2026
CambridgeHabitability & Repair

Operative Text

Cambridge Code of Ordinances ch. 2.76 § 2.76.170
A. The provisions of this chapter shall be construed liberally for the accomplishment of the purposes of this chapter, and any ordinances or portions thereof inconsistent with any provisions of this chapter shall not apply.
B. This chapter shall be deemed an exercise of the police power of the City for the protection of the public safety, health, prosperity and welfare.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Cambridge Code of Ordinances ch. 2.76 § 2.76.170 establishes two foundational interpretive principles for the city's rent regulation chapter. First, courts and administrators are directed to read the chapter's provisions broadly, in favor of achieving its stated purposes, and any conflicting local ordinances yield to it. Second, the entire chapter is formally grounded in the city's police power—the governmental authority to regulate for the protection of public safety, health, prosperity, and welfare—giving it a strong constitutional and legal footing.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on September 13, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under Cambridge Code of Ordinances ch. 2.76 § 2.76.170, the rent regulation chapter is designed to be interpreted expansively, meaning ambiguities in its provisions are generally resolved in favor of the chapter's protective purposes rather than in favor of limiting its reach. Compliant operators typically account for the fact that other local ordinances will not override this chapter where a conflict exists. Property managers benefit from reviewing the chapter as a whole, since its liberal-construction mandate can affect how individual sections are applied in practice.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Cambridge Code of Ordinances ch. 2.76 § 2.76.170 is significant for tenants because it instructs decision-makers to interpret the rent regulation chapter broadly to fulfill its protective goals, which can be relevant when a provision's meaning is disputed. Because the chapter is grounded in the city's police power for public welfare, tenants may find that this provision supports a broad reading of their rights under other sections of ch. 2.76. Tenants who believe a narrow or conflicting interpretation is being applied to their situation may wish to raise § 2.76.170 when filing a complaint with the Cambridge Rent Control Board or when consulting a tenant-rights organization.

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.

Effective Timeline

Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.

References In

No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.

Related Rules

§ 127A
State sanitary code; adoption; enforcement; jurisdiction; speedy trial
§ 127B
Dwellings unfit for human habitation; order to vacate or to abate nuisance; removal of occupants; demolition expense, lien; inspection reports; code violations; notices; enforcement proceedings, jurisdiction; appeal
§ 127C
Petition for violation of sanitary code; requisites

Source Information

Source:https://api.municode.com/CodesContent?jobId=457605&nodeId=TIT2ADPE_CH2.76HURICO&productId=16889
Snapshot SHA:
Fetched:Sep 13, 2026, 03:10 PM UTC
Raw bytes:Download from R2 →