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Massachusetts

Massachusetts Landlord-Tenant Laws

Security deposit limits, eviction notices, rent control, and more for Massachusetts.

How we research these summaries

Every rule on this page is drawn from state statutes and municipal codes and summarized with AI assistance. Each one cites the statute it's based on and links to a published text of that law so you can read it firsthand. Where a page says a city or county has no local rule on a topic, that means none was found for the topics covered here — not that none exists. Local governments also regulate rental housing in ways these pages don't track, including registration, licensing, inspections and habitability standards. These summaries may be incomplete or out of date, laws change often, and every property and tenancy has specifics a summary can't capture — so treat this as a starting point for your own research, not as legal advice, and check with the local jurisdiction and a qualified attorney before acting on your particular situation.

What to Know in Massachusetts

Sources last checked July 2026

Massachusetts requires a 14-day notice to quit before evicting for nonpayment of rent, while other lease violations get a 7-day notice and ending a tenancy-at-will for any reason takes at least 30 days. Statewide rent control has been barred since a 1994 ballot vote, M.G.L. c. 40P, which simultaneously ended local rent control in Boston, Cambridge, and Brookline, the only cities that ever had it. A 2026 ballot initiative to reinstate rent stabilization qualified but was struck from the ballot by the state's Supreme Judicial Court in June 2026 over a religious-exemption provision.

  • 14-day notice required before eviction for nonpayment of rent
  • 30-day move-out notice required for month-to-month tenancies
  • No rent control — no statutory cap on rent increases
  • 30-day advance written notice required for rent increases
  • Security deposits capped at 1 month's rent
5 rules summarized · Each linked to the law it cites

Security Deposit Limits

Security Deposit Limits

What is the security deposit limit in Massachusetts?

Under M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B, a landlord may not require a security deposit exceeding the amount of one month's rent. The deposit must be held in a separate, interest-bearing bank account at a Massachusetts bank, and the landlord must provide the tenant with written notice of the account within 30 days of receiving the deposit. Upon termination of tenancy, the landlord must return the deposit (with accrued interest at 5% per year or the actual rate earned, whichever is less) within 30 days, along with a written itemized statement of any deductions. Failure to comply may subject the landlord to treble damages and attorney fees.

M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B

Eviction Notice Requirements

Eviction Notice Requirements

What are the eviction notice requirements in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts landlords must serve a written Notice to Quit before filing a summary process eviction action. For nonpayment of rent, a 14-day Notice to Quit is required under M.G.L. c. 186, § 11. Tenants-at-will who have not received such a notice in the prior 12 months have 10 days to cure the nonpayment. For lease violations (other than nonpayment), a 7-day Notice to Quit applies under M.G.L. c. 186, § 17. Terminating a tenancy-at-will for any reason requires a 30-day (or one full rental period, whichever is longer) written Notice to Quit under M.G.L. c. 186, § 12. Self-help evictions (locking out, removing belongings, shutting off utilities) are illegal.

M.G.L. c. 186, §§ 11, 12, 17

Rent Increase Notice Periods

Rent Increase Notice Periods

How much notice is required for rent increases in Massachusetts?

In Massachusetts, landlords must provide tenants-at-will with at least 30 days' written notice (or one full rental period, whichever is longer) before a rent increase takes effect, under M.G.L. c. 186, § 12. The notice must specify the effective date of the increase. For tenants with a fixed-term lease, rent cannot be increased during the lease term; at renewal, the new rate takes effect per the lease terms. There is no statutory cap on the amount of a rent increase.

M.G.L. c. 186, § 12

Rent Control / Rent Increase Caps

Rent Control / Rent Increase Caps

Is there rent control in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts does not have statewide rent control, and local municipalities are prohibited from enacting rent control ordinances under M.G.L. c. 40P, enacted after a November 1994 statewide ballot vote (Question 9) that simultaneously ended local rent control in the three cities that had it — Boston, Cambridge, and Brookline. No city or town may impose rent control today. A 2026 ballot initiative to reinstate statewide rent stabilization qualified with more than 124,000 signatures, but the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court struck it from the November 2026 ballot on June 23, 2026, ruling that its exemption for religiously-operated housing impermissibly implicated religion under the state constitution’s initiative-petition rules. As of July 2026 there is no rent control anywhere in Massachusetts.

M.G.L. c. 40P

Move-Out & Lease Termination Notice

Move-Out & Lease Termination Notice

What is the move-out notice requirement in Massachusetts?

Under M.G.L. c. 186, § 12, either a landlord or tenant may terminate a tenancy-at-will by providing written notice of at least 30 days, or one full rental period (whichever is longer), before the termination date. The termination date must correspond to a rent payment date. For tenancies with a rent period of three months or more, three months' notice is required. Fixed-term leases terminate automatically at the end of the lease term; a tenant who remains in possession without the landlord's consent becomes a tenant-at-will. Notice must be in writing and delivered to the other party.

M.G.L. c. 186, § 12

Local Jurisdictions with Additional Rules

Boston City

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