Lexington, Mass., Code of Bylaws ch 63 § 63-4

A. The provisions of this section apply only to elderly tenants, handicapped tenants, and low or moderate income tenants, unless otherwise explicitly stated. B. Pursuant to the authority vested in this Town by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the owner of a housing accommodation shall be prohibited from instituting any condominium or cooperative conversion eviction as defined in Chapter 527 of the Acts of 1983, without first obtaining a license from the Condominium Conversion Board. Further, the eviction of a tenant by any other person who has purchased a housing accommodation shall be deemed a condominium or cooperative conversion eviction, if the tenant was a resident of the housing accommodation at the time that the master deed for the housing accommodation was recorded pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 183A of the General Laws, or at the time that the articles of organization for the cooperative were filed with the Secretary of State. C. The Board shall not license an eviction under this section until the accommodation of the tenant subject to that eviction has been sold, pursuant to the condominium master deed. D. The Condominium Conversion Board shall have the power to promulgate rules and regulations for the enforcement of this section. E. The Board may not unreasonably withhold a license to evict, but may make the granting of a license subject to reasonable terms and conditions, which may include (but are not limited to): (1) Prohibiting the eviction for a period of time, not less than any period of time to which the tenant is entitled under the provision of any other law, court decision, regulation, or by-law and not more than a period of five years from the date of the application for a license to evict. (2) Requiring that the applicant for the eviction license give to the tenant sought to be evicted an extension of the rental agreement for a period of time, not less than any period of time to which the tenant is entitled under the provision of any other law, court decision, regulation, or by-law and not more than a period of five years from the date of the application for a license to evict. The provisions of such rental agreement may not otherwise be modified, except with respect to the amount of annual rent, any increase in which shall not exceed an amount equal to the sum which would result by multiplying said rent by the percentage increase in the consumer price index for all urban consumers as published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, during the calendar year immediately preceding the date upon which such rental agreement is commenced, or 10%, whichever is less; provided, however, nothing herein shall limit the right of a property owner to any amounts which may be due under a valid escalation clause in the written lease. F. Any rent increase, imposition of new terms and conditions of the tenancy, reduction or elimination of services, or other device used to circumvent the protections of this section shall be invalid. G. Any condition or terms imposed by the Board with respect to a license to evict shall be in addition to, and not instead of, any right, protection, or benefit available to the tenant under any statute of the Commonwealth or court decision. H. The guidelines that the Board shall use in determining the conditions upon which an eviction license may be granted shall include the following: (1) The hardship on the tenant and the owner of the unit in question. The Board may include in its consideration of hardship matters relating to finances, health, age, and family problems (including the importance of a child finishing school in Lexington). (2) The availability of affordable housing for the tenant in Lexington. (3) The housing situation of the owner of the unit in question. I. Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing to the contrary, this section of this by-law applies, to the extent permitted by law, to all persons who were elderly, handicapped, and low or moderate income tenants on the date of the adoption of this by-law, by the Town Meeting.