Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40P, § 2

The purpose of this chapter is to establish a uniform statewide policy that broadly prohibits any regulatory scheme based upon or implementing rent control, except where, following an initial six month period, compliance with such a scheme is voluntary and uncoerced on the part of property owners. Even when voluntary, rent control should be severely restricted in scope. This policy is based on the belief that the public is best served by free market rental rates for residential properties and by unrestricted home ownership. The terms of this chapter shall be liberally construed to effect this purpose.