Massachusetts Landlord-Tenant Law

When it comes to Massachusetts rental laws, there are a few specifics landlords need to know:

1. Security Deposit – Massachusetts limits the amount a landlord may charge for the security deposit to the equivalent of one month’s rent. Landlords must return the deposit within 30 days of the tenant moving out.
2. Raising Rent – Landlords in Massachusetts may increase the rent to any amount for any reason with a 30-day notice.
3. Notice of Entry – Massachusetts does not require a notice from the landlord before entering the property. However, landlords with property in the commonwealth must give 24-hour notice.
4. Repairs – It is the landlord’s responsibility to keep the rental in safe and healthy living conditions. Landlords must make repairs within 14 days after being notified by the tenant. If the landlord fails to make repairs within this time frame, tenants may make the repairs themselves and deduct the cost from future rent payments.
5. Rental Applications – Landlords must have permission for the state’s Criminal History Systems Board to ask about criminal history on rental applications. When a landlord with standard access requests a report, it may include criminal cases still occurring; convictions for a misdemeanor when the conviction date or incarceration release date is less than 5 years prior to the CORI request date; conviction for a felony when the conviction date or incarceration release date occurred less than 10 years prior to the CORI request date; and/or convictions for murder, manslaughter, or sex offense, no matter how old. 
   1. Landlords must not get any sealed cases, cases with no conviction, misdemeanor convictions more than 5 years old, felony convictions more than 10 years old, juvenile cases if a person is younger than 17 and they were not convicted as an adult, civil cases, or non-incarcerable cases (arrests).