Chapter 143

Section 1. In this chapter the following terms, unless a contrary meaning is required by the context or is specifically prescribed, shall have the following meanings: ''Alteration'', change in or addition to a building which reduces the means of exit or fire resistance or changes…

Section 10. An owner, lessee or mortgagee in possession aggrieved by such order may have the remedy prescribed by section two of chapter one hundred and thirty-nine; provided, that no provision of said section two shall be construed so as to hinder, delay or prevent the local ins…

Section 100. There shall be in the division of occupational licensure a building code appeals board, hereinafter called the appeals board, to consist of the board established under the provisions of section ninety-three. Whoever is aggrieved by an interpretation, order, requireme…

Section 101. The executive office of housing and livable communities shall promulgate regulations to ensure that no seller of a residential structure or a residential condominium unit, or an agent thereof, shall: (i) condition the acceptance of an offer to purchase on the prospec…

Section 11. If an owner, lessee or mortgagee in possession lives out of the commonwealth, the notice required by section six may be served upon him by a notary public, whose certificate of service under his notarial seal shall be sufficient evidence thereof.

Section 12. The supreme judicial or superior court may restrain the construction, alteration, repair, maintenance or use of a building or structure in violation of any ordinance or by-law of a city or town or of the state building code and order its removal or abatement as a nuis…

Section 13. Any inspector of the office of public safety and inspections of the division of occupational licensure, if called upon by the aldermen of any city or by the selectmen of any town, shall inspect any building or other structure in such city or town, or anything attached…

Section 14. If it appears to such inspector that the building or other structure, or anything attached to or connected therewith, is dangerous to life or limb in case of fire or otherwise, he shall cause it to be removed or rendered safe in the manner provided by sections six to …

Section 16A. The furnishing of, or failure to furnish, safety inspection or advisory services intended to reduce the likelihood of injury, death or loss shall not subject an insurer, its agent or employee undertaking to perform such services as an incident to insurance, to liabil…

Section 21D. The owner, lessee or mortgagee in possession of any multiple dwelling of ten or more units shall equip such dwelling with an auxiliary emergency lighting system independent of the conventional lighting system, and lighted signs indicating both a primary and secondary…

Section 22. Any article placed upon a fire escape or an outside means of egress of any building is hereby declared a common nuisance. Any court authorized to issue warrants in criminal cases may, upon complaint under oath made by any police officer that any article is placed or m…

Section 23. Every stairway of every building shall be kept free and unobstructed, and any person who permits any article to remain in any stairway of any building in such a manner as may impede the egress of any person lawfully in said building or the ingress of any person lawful…

Section 2A. The provisions of this chapter relative to the safety of persons in buildings shall apply to buildings and structures, other than the state house, owned, operated or controlled by the commonwealth, and to buildings and structures owned, operated or controlled by any d…

Section 2B. The commissioner shall promulgate and from time to time may amend and transmit to the commissioner of administration and finance and to the state superintendent of buildings such regulations as he may deem necessary to provide proper means of egress from and fire prot…

Section 2C. The state superintendent of buildings and the sergeant-at-arms shall prepare plans and make all necessary preparations for effecting the prompt, speedy and safe evacuation of the state house and the several floors, basements and portions thereof, in case of fire or ot…

Section 3. The chief administrative officer of each city or town shall employ and designate an inspector of buildings or building commissioner as well as such other local inspectors as are reasonably necessary to assist the inspector of buildings or building commissioner to admin…

Section 32. If a schoolhouse in any city has not been provided with a safe and proper egress or other means of escape from fire, as required by this chapter or by pertinent sections of the state building code, within six months after written notice by the local inspector to the o…

Section 35. The licensee shall be responsible, civilly and criminally, for noncompliance with the laws and the state building code applicable to the theatre, special hall or public hall, as defined by this chapter or by the state building code, covered by his license, and for non…

Section 3A. Unless otherwise provided by the state building code, the local inspector shall enforce the state building code as to any building or structure within the city or town from which he is appointed, including any building or structure owned by any authority established b…

Section 3L. The board of fire prevention regulations shall make and promulgate, and from time to time may alter, amend and repeal, rules and regulations relative to the installation, repair and maintenance of electrical wiring and electrical fixtures used for light, heat and powe…

Section 3N. No person shall engage in gas fitting in the city of Boston without first making application to the building commissioner of said city and obtaining a permit therefor in accordance with the state building code; nor shall any person engage in gas fitting in any other c…

Section 3O. Each city and town shall provide by ordinance or by-law for the appointment of an inspector of gas piping and gas appliances in buildings who shall be a licensed plumber or licensed gas fitter. Said inspector shall enforce the rules and regulations adopted by the boar…

Section 3P. Whoever is aggrieved by a notice, interpretation, order, requirement or direction of an inspector of wires or other person charged with the enforcement of the rules and regulations of the board of fire prevention regulations, may, within ten days after the service of …

Section 3Q. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the provisions of this chapter relative to the safety of persons and the prevention of fire in convalescent or nursing homes, rest homes and charitable homes for the aged licensed under the provisions of sect…

Section 3R. At least one of the doors of the main common entryway into every apartment house having more than three apartments shall be so designed or equipped as to close and lock automatically with a lock, including a lock with an electrically-operated striker mechanism, a self…

Section 3S. An owner of a dwelling which is rented for residential use, who does not reside therein and who does not employ a manager or agent for such dwelling who resides therein, shall post and maintain or cause to be posted and maintained on such dwelling adjacent to the mail…

Section 3T. The following phrases, as used in sections three U and three V shall, unless the context requires otherwise, have the following meanings:— ''Safety glazing material'', any glazing material, such as tempered glass, laminated glass, wire glass or rigid plastic, which me…

Section 3U. Each light of safety glazing material manufactured, distributed, imported, or sold for use in hazardous locations or installed in such a location within the commonwealth shall be permanently labeled by such means as etching, sandblasting, firing of ceramic material on…

Section 3V. Whoever knowingly sells, fabricates, assembles, glazes, installs, consents or causes to be installed glazing materials other than safety glazing materials in, or for use in, any hazardous location shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred nor more than…

Section 3W. In issuing a certificate of approval for the erection or alteration of a public building under section fifteen, a supervisor of plans shall, in addition to any other requirements of this chapter, determine that the plans and specifications required to be filed under s…

Section 3X. The inspector of buildings in cities and towns shall notify the local United States postmaster upon the issuance of any building permit containing ten or more residential units.

Section 3Y. In any city or town which accepts the provisions of this section, inspector of buildings, building commissioner or local inspector so employed and designated under this section shall be appointed for a minimum term of three years and such three year term or more shall…

Section 3Z. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, in any city, town or district which accepts the provisions of this section, any part time inspector of buildings, building commissioner, local inspector or alternate inspector may practice f…

Section 43. If a building is owned, leased or occupied, jointly or in severalty, any owner, lessee or occupant may affix to any part of the outside wall of such building any means of egress or of escape from fire specified and described by an inspector, notwithstanding the object…

Section 50. Any person who hinders or prevents or attempts to prevent the commissioner, the chief of inspections of the department or any inspector or local inspector from entering any building, structure or enclosure or part thereof in the performance of his duty in the enforcem…

Section 51. The owner, lessee, mortgagee in possession or occupant, being the party in control, of a place of assembly, theatre, special hall, public hall, factory, workshop, manufacturing establishment or building shall comply with the provisions of this chapter and the state bu…

Section 54A. No officer, board or commission of the commonwealth, or of any city, town or district, charged with the enforcement of the state building code or laws, by-laws, ordinances, rules or regulations relating to the construction, reconstruction, enlargement or alteration o…

Section 57. The supreme judicial court or superior court shall have jurisdiction in equity to enforce the provisions of this chapter, the provisions of the state building code, and of any ordinance, by-law, rule or regulation made under authority of any of such provisions, the en…

Section 58. District courts shall have jurisdiction concurrently with the superior court of prosecutions and proceedings at law under sections three to fifty-two, inclusive.

Section 59. The supreme judicial court or superior court may, upon the application of the commissioner, an inspector or local inspector, enforce by any suitable process or decree any section of this chapter, the state building code and any order or requirement of any person made …

Section 6. The local inspector, immediately upon being informed by report or otherwise that a building or other structure or anything attached thereto or connected therewith in that city or town is dangerous to life or limb or that any building in that city or town is unused, uni…

Section 60. The supreme judicial court or the superior court may restrain the illegal placing, maintenance or use of any building, structure or other thing. It may, upon the petition of a city or town or of a local inspector for such relief, require the removal of any such buildi…

Section 61. The local inspector in every city and town shall give to the assessors thereof written notice of the granting by him of permits for the construction of any building in such city or town or for any substantial alteration or addition thereto. Such notice shall be given …

Section 62. The commissioner shall cause a system of elevator inspection to be instituted and maintained in the commonwealth. The commissioner shall assign an adequate number of competent inspectors for all elevators in the commonwealth. The commissioner shall have supervision of…

Section 62A. The owner or person in control of a building in which an elevator is operated shall pay fees to be determined annually by the secretary of administration under the provisions of section three B of chapter seven for inspection and safety tests by an inspector assigned…

Section 63. On completion of the work of installation or alteration, the manufacturer of the elevator or the person making the alterations shall make a practical test of the safety devices of the elevator in the presence of an inspector assigned by the commissioner. If the test i…

Section 64. All elevators shall be thoroughly inspected and a practical test made of the safety devices required therefor at intervals of not more than one year and at such other times as may be deemed necessary by the inspector; provided, however, that elevators in owner-occupie…

Section 65. If in the judgment of an inspector assigned by the commissioner that an elevator is safe, and if the elevator has been constructed in the manner required by law or by the regulations of the board of elevator regulations or the state building code, the inspector shall …

Section 66. Any owner, operator or person in charge of an elevator or any person employed to inspect, repair or install an elevator shall immediately, if an accident occurs during such installation or repair, of if he thinks such elevator is unsafe, make a written report thereof …

Section 68. The board of elevator regulations shall promulgate amendments to the regulations relating to the construction, installation, alteration and operation of all elevators, and relative to the location, design and construction of shafts or enclosures for elevators, safety …