Our View: Pass Maggie’s Law, Soon

Sometimes, legislation that works its way up Beacon Hill to the governor’s desk is complex, multi-layered and worthy of long scrutiny to prevent potential unintended consequences when the bill becomes law.

 But in the case of the so-called Maggie Hubbard Rental Safety Act, time is of the essence.

 Communities in vacation destinations all over the state are grappling with how to regulate short-term rentals, making sure they don’t cause undue congestion, parking problems, groundwater pollution or strain on town infrastructure. Those things are all important, but as problems go, they’re not as pressing as fire prevention.

 The legislation, filed by State Sen. Julian Cyr and State Rep. Hadley Luddy, is very straightforward. As currently written, it requires rental properties to be inspected for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors within a year prior to rental. It also mandates that rental or real estate agents confirm before listing a unit that it is in compliance with fire safety codes. Pretty simple stuff.

 We’re dumbstruck by the speed with which Tim Waldron, Maggie’s grandfather, has become an expert on the problem of safety in short-term rentals. After all, his family is still stinging from the loss of Maggie and her mother to a fire in an unpermitted rental in New York last fall. But this legislation is far from a knee-jerk reaction to tragedy. It’s simple, strategic and achievable.

 We praise Luddy and Cyr for their advocacy for the bill, and urge their legislative colleagues to act quickly to bring the law to fruition. On Cape Cod and around Massachusetts, property owners are busy preparing their properties for vacation renters – and while the vast majority would willingly do the right thing to keep their guests safe, there’s a clear need for accountability.

 This legislation is the right thing to do for renters. It’s the right thing to do for landlords. And it’s the right thing to do to honor Shannon Hubbard and her daughter, Maggie June.