Landlord laws
Massachusetts landlord-tenant law
Massachusetts General Laws ch. 186 (Estates for Years and at Will), ch. 40P, ch. 151B § 4 (official text, malegislature.gov)
Last verified Oct 2026
General information only. Not legal advice. RentToolkit is not a law firm. Laws and local ordinances change, so check the statute and consult a licensed attorney in your state before acting.
| Topic | Rule (plain English) | Statute | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security deposit cap | At or before move-in you may collect only first month's rent, last month's rent, a security deposit of up to one month's rent, and the cost of a new lock and key. No other upfront fees are allowed. | M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(1)(b) | Verified |
| Deposit return deadline | Within 30 days after the tenancy ends, return the deposit with interest, minus only unpaid rent or water charges, certain tax-escalation amounts, and reasonable repair costs (not wear and tear). Damage deductions need an itemized list sworn under penalty of perjury, with estimates or bills. If you violate the deposit rules you can lose the right to keep any of it, and some violations cost triple damages plus attorney's fees. | M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(4), (6), (7) | Verified |
| Deposit holding and interest | Hold the deposit in a separate, interest-bearing Massachusetts bank account, protected from your creditors. Within 30 days, give a receipt showing the bank, amount and account number. Every year, pay 5% interest (or the lower rate the bank paid), or let the tenant deduct it from rent, along with an annual statement. Interest also applies to last month's rent paid in advance. At move-in, give a signed receipt and a statement of the unit's condition. | M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(2)–(3) | Verified |
| Late fee cap and grace period | No interest or penalty for late rent until it is 30 days overdue. The statute sets no dollar cap. | M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(1)(c) | Verified |
| Landlord entry notice | A lease may let you enter only to inspect, make repairs, or show the unit to prospective tenants, buyers or lenders. You may also enter under a court order, if the unit appears abandoned, or in the last 30 days of the tenancy to inspect for damage. The statute sets no advance-notice period. Note: Advance-notice expectations come from regulations and case law, not this statute. | M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(1)(a) | Verified |
| Rent increase notice | Not specified in state statute. No statute sets a rent-increase notice period. We checked ch. 186. A tenancy at will ends on written notice equal to one rent period or 30 days, whichever is longer, and that notice may offer a new tenancy at a new rent. You can't raise rent mid-lease unless the lease allows it. | M.G.L. c. 186, § 12 | Not in statute |
| Rent control status | Cities and towns may not enact or enforce rent control. The only exception is a narrow voluntary, compensated scheme for towns that accept the chapter, which can't apply to owners with fewer than 10 units. Public and subsidized housing is excluded from the definition. | M.G.L. c. 40P, §§ 3–4 | Verified |
| Eviction notice: nonpayment | Give a 14-day written notice to quit. A tenant at will who hasn't had one in the past 12 months can cure by paying all rent due within 10 days, and the notice must say so. A tenant under a written lease can cure by paying everything due, with interest and costs, by the answer date. | M.G.L. c. 186, §§ 11, 12 | Verified |
| Eviction notice: lease violation | Not specified in state statute. No statute sets a notice or cure period for non-rent lease violations. We checked ch. 186. Termination depends on the lease's terms. A no-fault end to a tenancy at will requires the § 12 notice (one rent period or 30 days, whichever is longer). Note: Notice for lease-violation terminations is governed by the lease and case law, not statute. | M.G.L. c. 186, § 12 | Not in statute |
| Required disclosures | Give a signed receipt for the deposit, and for last month's rent if collected (§ 15B(2)). Give a signed statement of the unit's condition, with the required 12-point bold notice, within 10 days (§ 15B(2)(c)). Within 30 days, give the bank receipt (§ 15B(3)(a)). Send an annual interest statement (§ 15B(3)(b)). For pre-1978 housing, give the federal lead-paint disclosure (40 CFR 745.113). | M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(2)–(3); 40 CFR 745.113 | Verified |
| Fair housing beyond federal law | Massachusetts adds gender identity, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, ancestry, marital status, and veteran or military status. It also bars discrimination against recipients of public assistance or housing subsidies (including rental assistance). | M.G.L. c. 151B, § 4(6), (10) | Verified |
Last verified Oct 2026 · Sources are official state legislature sites. Federal rules also apply.
Tools for Massachusetts landlords
Late fee calculator
Model grace periods and fees.
Open →Prorated rent calculator
Mid-month move-ins.
Open →Rent increase calculator
New rent and annual impact.
Open →General information only. Not legal advice. RentToolkit is not a law firm. Laws and local ordinances change, so check the statute and consult a licensed attorney in your state before acting.