Massachusetts landlord and tenant rules

Seayora publishes 15 Massachusetts rules, covering security deposits, notice periods, late fees, applications, evictions, fair housing, tenant protections, repairs, contractor sales tax. Every one is composed from the statute it cites and links to that statute on the state’s own code site.

Massachusetts at a glance

RuleMassachusetts
Does a landlord have to pay interest on a security deposit in Massachusetts?5 % or the bank rate, paid annually; the deposit must be in a separate Massachusetts account named to the tenant.
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Massachusetts?30 days
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Massachusetts?1 month of rent
How many days does a tenant get to pay late rent in Massachusetts?14 days
How much notice does a landlord have to give before raising the rent in Massachusetts?30 days
How much notice must a landlord give to end a tenancy in Massachusetts?30 days
Is there a grace period for paying rent in Massachusetts?30 days
How much can a landlord charge for a rental application fee in Massachusetts?Not permitted
Can a landlord change the locks to force a tenant out in Massachusetts?A landlord who evicts without a court order is liable for three months’ rent or actual damages, whichever is greater, plus costs and attorney fees.
How long does a tenant have to respond to an eviction case in Massachusetts?The answer is due on the Monday before the entry date stated in the summons.
What are the steps to evict a tenant for unpaid rent in Massachusetts?Serve a 14-day notice to quit for nonpayment
Can a landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher in Massachusetts?Protected: a landlord may not refuse one
Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Massachusetts?Presumed within 6 months
Can a tenant repair and deduct from rent in Massachusetts?Up to four months’ rent a year, after a code certification
Do contractors charge sales tax in Massachusetts?Consumer of materials

Security deposits in Massachusetts

Does a landlord have to pay interest on a security deposit in Massachusetts?

Yes. Massachusetts requires a landlord to pay the tenant interest on a security deposit. 5 % or the bank rate, paid annually; the deposit must be in a separate Massachusetts account named to the tenant. The deposit itself must be returned within 30 days of the end of the tenancy. This is M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Massachusetts?

In Massachusetts, a landlord has 30 days after the tenancy ends to return the security deposit, together with an itemised statement of any deductions. Massachusetts also requires interest to be paid on the deposit: 5 % or the bank rate, paid annually; the deposit must be in a separate Massachusetts account named to the tenant. This is M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Massachusetts?

In Massachusetts, a security deposit is capped at 1 month of rent. One month's rent. This is M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Notice periods in Massachusetts

How many days does a tenant get to pay late rent in Massachusetts?

In Massachusetts, a landlord must give 14 days written notice before starting a nonpayment case. This is M.G.L. c. 186, §§ 11–12.

One full rental period (30 days minimum). Entry: the statute requires reasonable notice rather than a fixed period — 24 hours is customary. Late rent: 14-day notice to quit.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much notice does a landlord have to give before raising the rent in Massachusetts?

In Massachusetts, a landlord must give 30 days written notice before raising the rent. This is M.G.L. c. 186, §§ 11–12.

One full rental period (30 days minimum). Entry: the statute requires reasonable notice rather than a fixed period — 24 hours is customary. Late rent: 14-day notice to quit.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much notice must a landlord give to end a tenancy in Massachusetts?

In Massachusetts, a landlord must give 30 days written notice to end a tenancy or decline to renew it. This is M.G.L. c. 186, §§ 11–12.

One full rental period (30 days minimum). Entry: the statute requires reasonable notice rather than a fixed period — 24 hours is customary. Late rent: 14-day notice to quit.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Late fees in Massachusetts

Is there a grace period for paying rent in Massachusetts?

Yes. In Massachusetts, a lease may not impose any interest or penalty for late rent until 30 days after the rent was due. This is M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(1)(c).

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Applications in Massachusetts

How much can a landlord charge for a rental application fee in Massachusetts?

In Massachusetts, at or before the start of a tenancy a landlord may require only the first month’s rent, the last month’s rent, a security deposit of up to one month’s rent and the cost of a new lock and key — an application fee is not among them. This is M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(1)(b).

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Evictions in Massachusetts

Can a landlord change the locks to force a tenant out in Massachusetts?

No. A landlord who evicts without a court order is liable for three months’ rent or actual damages, whichever is greater, plus costs and attorney fees. M.G.L. c. 186, § 15F; c. 184, § 18. In Massachusetts a tenant may be removed only through the court process, which is set by M.G.L. c. 186, §§ 11, 11A, 12, 15F; c. 239, §§ 1, 8A; Uniform Summary Process Rules.

Massachusetts summary process is unusually technical: the notice to quit, the summons and complaint and the entry date each have their own timing, and a defect in any of them is fatal. A tenant who cures within the statutory period stops the case.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How long does a tenant have to respond to an eviction case in Massachusetts?

In Massachusetts, the time a tenant has to respond to an eviction case is governed by M.G.L. c. 186, §§ 11, 11A, 12, 15F; c. 239, §§ 1, 8A; Uniform Summary Process Rules. The answer is due on the Monday before the entry date stated in the summons. A tenant who files an answer and a discovery request automatically postpones the trial by two weeks.

Massachusetts summary process is unusually technical: the notice to quit, the summons and complaint and the entry date each have their own timing, and a defect in any of them is fatal. A tenant who cures within the statutory period stops the case.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

What are the steps to evict a tenant for unpaid rent in Massachusetts?

In Massachusetts, an eviction for unpaid rent runs through 7 steps, each set by the statute or court rule beside it: (1) Serve a 14-day notice to quit for nonpayment — M.G.L. c. 186, §§ 11, 12; (2) The cure period — M.G.L. c. 186, § 11; (3) Prepare and serve the summary process summons and complaint — Uniform Summary Process Rule 2; (4) Enter the case at the court by the entry date — Uniform Summary Process Rule 2; (5) Answer due the Monday before the entry date — Uniform Summary Process Rule 3; (6) Trial — M.G.L. c. 239, § 8A; (7) Execution issues after ten days — M.G.L. c. 239, § 3. Massachusetts summary process is unusually technical: the notice to quit, the summons and complaint and the entry date each have their own timing, and a defect in any of them is fatal. A tenant who cures within the statutory period stops the case. The procedure as a whole is set by M.G.L. c. 186, §§ 11, 11A, 12, 15F; c. 239, §§ 1, 8A; Uniform Summary Process Rules.

Massachusetts summary process is unusually technical: the notice to quit, the summons and complaint and the entry date each have their own timing, and a defect in any of them is fatal. A tenant who cures within the statutory period stops the case.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Fair housing in Massachusetts

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.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Tenant protections in Massachusetts

Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Massachusetts?

No. In Massachusetts, a landlord who retaliates against a tenant for reporting a code violation, complaining in writing to the landlord, pursuing a housing claim or joining a tenants’ union is liable for one to three months’ rent or actual damages, and a termination notice (other than for nonpayment), rent increase or other substantial change within six months after the tenant’s act is presumed to be a reprisal. The presumption can be rebutted only by clear and convincing evidence. Separately, the federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to threaten or interfere with anyone for exercising fair housing rights. This is M.G.L. c. 186, § 18.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Repairs in Massachusetts

Can a tenant repair and deduct from rent in Massachusetts?

Yes, within limits. In Massachusetts, once a board of health or code agency certifies a violation that endangers health or safety, and the owner, notified in writing, does not begin repairs within five days and substantially complete them within fourteen, the tenant may make the repairs and deduct the cost from the rent, up to four months’ rent in any twelve months. An owner may recover an unreasonable or excessive deduction in a separate action, but not in an eviction case. Each step has to be followed as the statute sets it out, including the written notice and the waiting period, or the deduction can be treated as unpaid rent. This is M.G.L. c. 111, § 127L.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Contractor sales tax in Massachusetts

Do contractors charge sales tax in Massachusetts?

In Massachusetts a contractor is treated as the CONSUMER of the materials they build into real property. That means the contractor pays sales tax when they buy the materials, and does not add sales tax to the customer's invoice for that work — the tax is already inside the price. Source: 830 CMR 64H.6.7 (out-of-state and in-state contractors are the consumers of materials used in construction).

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Sources

  • 830 CMR 64H.6.7 (out-of-state and in-state contractors are the consumers of materials used in construction).
  • M.G.L. c. 111, § 127L
  • M.G.L. c. 151B, § 4
  • M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B
  • M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(1)(b)
  • M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(1)(c)
  • M.G.L. c. 186, § 18
  • M.G.L. c. 186, §§ 11, 11A, 12, 15F; c. 239, §§ 1, 8A; Uniform Summary Process Rules
  • M.G.L. c. 186, §§ 11–12

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.

This is a summary of the published procedure, not legal advice. Courts, local rules and the facts of a tenancy change what applies, and a defect in a notice or a filing can end a case. Have a lawyer review anything before it is served or filed.

This is a summary of a state’s published guidance, not tax or legal advice. Rates and rules change, local jurisdictions add their own, and the treatment of a specific job depends on the contract and the work. Check the citation and speak to a CPA or a state tax adviser before relying on it.

How Seayora uses these rules

Security deposits. Seayora computes the deadline this rule sets from the tenancy’s own dates, shows it on the deposit statement, and reminds the landlord before it falls due — so the answer above is not reference material sitting beside the product, it is the rule the product enforces.

Notice periods. Seayora computes the notice this rule requires from the tenancy’s own dates — for a renewal offer, a rent increase or a served notice — and will not serve one that is short unless the owner records a reason. The answer above is the rule the product enforces.

Late fees. Seayora charges only the late fee written into the lease, after the grace period the lease sets, and adds no late fee of its own. This page states the statutory ceiling and waiting period so the terms of a lease can be checked against them before it is signed.

Applications. This page states what the state allows a landlord to charge somebody applying to rent, so a fee can be checked against it before it is advertised or collected.

Evictions. Seayora does not file, serve or appear in an eviction, and is not anybody’s lawyer. When a tenant has stopped paying, it lays out these steps for the property’s own state and city with the statute beside each one, holds back any step that would come too early, keeps an append-only record of the case — and shows the resident what would end it, legal-aid links included.

Fair housing. 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.

Tenant protections. When an owner prepares an eviction in Seayora, it lists any repair request opened on the unit in the last 180 days that is still open, not to stop the case but because the tenant will raise retaliation and the owner should have an answer. Every repair request keeps the date it was filed.

Repairs. Every deadline on this page runs from the tenant’s notice. A repair request filed in Seayora keeps the date it was made and every update after it, on the website and both phone apps, so owner and tenant are working from the same date.

Contractor sales tax. Seayora resolves this rule on every invoice a contractor raises — per line, from the job site’s own address — and prints the rate, the jurisdiction and this citation on the document itself, so the estimate a customer accepts is the invoice they are billed. Where the rule is more nuanced than a single answer, Seayora refuses to guess a total rather than quoting a confident wrong one.

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