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Mass. lawmakers hear emotional testimony on Maggie Hubbard Rental Safety Act after deadly short-term rental fire
Summary
Families of victims and safety advocates urged the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security to pass the Maggie Hubbard Rental Safety Act, a bill that would require inspection and certification of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in short‑term rentals not already covered by existing fire codes.
Sen. and Rep. committee members heard emotional testimony urging passage of the Maggie Hubbard Rental Safety Act, a bill that would require short‑term rental properties not already covered by existing fire codes to be inspected for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors within one year before being listed for rent.
The bill’s sponsors and multiple family members of the victims told the committee the measure follows the October fire that killed Shannon Hubbard and her 1‑year‑old daughter, Maggie. Representative Hadley Luddy described the bill and said: “The Maggie Hubbard Rental Safety Act would require short term rentals in Massachusetts, which are not already covered under existing fire codes, to undergo an inspection for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors within 1 year prior to being listed for rent.”
Why it matters: Witnesses said the rental listing had indicated smoke detectors, but investigators later found none. John Hubbard, Maggie’s father and Shannon’s husband, testified about the personal losses and told lawmakers plainly, “Their deaths were preventable.” Family members and advocates pressed the committee to require verification and to require platforms to confirm compliance before listings go live so landlords cannot simply check a compliance box.
Supporting details: Testimony described the proposed inspection window (within one year before listing) and asked that platforms such as short‑term rental websites be required to accept a certificate or upload verification. Tim Waldron, who also spoke for the family, said smoke detectors “would have 100% effectiveness” to prevent deaths in this kind of circumstance. Several witnesses compared Massachusetts practice to neighboring states that require explicit inspection or registration for such rentals.
Discussion vs. next steps: Committee members thanked family members for their testimony and opened the panel to questions; no formal vote or committee determination on the bill was recorded in the transcript. Multiple speakers urged “expeditious consideration” and urged the committee to report the bill out favorably.
Ending: Advocates asked lawmakers to adopt a uniform, statewide verification requirement and to ensure municipal gaps do not leave short‑term renters exposed. The committee session moved on after public gratitude to the families, with the bill left before the committee for further consideration.
