Lawrence Code of Ordinances ch. 15.12 § 15.12.080
Enforcement for violations
Operative Text
A. Violation of this chapter may be enforced in the manner provided in General Laws chapter 40, section 21D. All inspectional services personnel, inspectors, commissioner, assistant commissioner, enforcement prosecutor, fire or police personnel shall be deemed to be enforcing persons for the purpose of this chapter. B. The penalty for each violation shall be $300.00 for the first day of each offense and $25.00 for each successive day that the offense continues.
Lawrence Code of Ordinances ch. 15.12 § 15.12.080 establishes how violations of the city's housing chapter are enforced and what financial penalties apply. Enforcement authority is broadly distributed, covering inspectional services staff, commissioners, prosecutors, and fire and police personnel, all of whom are empowered to act under Massachusetts General Laws ch. 40, § 21D. A violation carries a $300 penalty for the first day it is found, with an additional $25 assessed for each subsequent day the violation continues unresolved.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Lawrence Code of Ordinances ch. 15.12 § 15.12.080, compliant property operators generally address any cited deficiency promptly, since the penalty structure escalates daily — starting at $300 on the first day and adding $25 for every day the condition persists. Because a wide range of city personnel, including inspectors, fire, and police, are authorized to issue citations, operators typically maintain properties in continuous compliance rather than waiting for a formal notice. Keeping records of corrective actions and communications with the city's inspectional services department is a practice commonly associated with demonstrating timely remediation.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Lawrence Code of Ordinances ch. 15.12 § 15.12.080 gives tenants a broad enforcement framework to point to when housing conditions in their building may violate the chapter. Because inspectional services personnel, fire, and police are all designated as enforcing persons, tenants generally have multiple avenues for reporting a suspected violation to the city. Tenants who believe a violation exists may consider contacting the Lawrence Inspectional Services Department, documenting conditions with photographs and written records, or reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization to understand how this provision and its penalty structure may be relevant to their situation.
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
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.