Can a landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher in Massachusetts?
No, not in most cases. In Massachusetts, a landlord may not discriminate against a tenant who receives federal, state or local housing subsidies, including rental assistance, because the tenant receives them or because of any requirement of the subsidy program. This is M.G.L. c. 151B, § 4.
| What | Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Renting to a voucher holder | Protected: a landlord may not refuse one |
| What the state law does | Bars refusing a tenant because of a voucher |
Source
M.G.L. c. 151B, § 4
Read the statute in the General Laws of Massachusetts (Massachusetts Legislature): malegislature.gov.
Checked against the statute on October 23, 2026.
This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.
How Seayora uses this rule
This page states whether the state protects renters who pay with a housing voucher, so a listing and its screening rules can be checked against it before they are published. Seayora’s rental search assistant never filters homes by how a renter will pay the rent.
Guides on this rule
- Renting to Section 8 Tenants: A Landlord’s Guide to Vouchers — How the Housing Choice Voucher program works for landlords: the HAP contract, inspections and the 2027 NSPIRE change, rent reasonableness, and who pays what.
- Tenant Screening: What Landlords Need to Know — How to screen rental applicants fairly and legally: credit and background checks, consistent criteria, the FCRA’s adverse action notice and fair housing.
- The Fair Housing Act: A Landlord’s Plain-English Guide — The seven protected classes, what the Fair Housing Act prohibits, the small-landlord exemptions, advertising rules, deadlines and penalties, with citations.
Compare this rule in every state
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The same question in other states
- California
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- District of Columbia
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