The Massachusetts Renter's Playbook: Know Your Rights Before You Sign

Massachusetts law strictly limits what a landlord can charge and demand. Upfront, a landlord may collect only first month's rent, last month's rent, a security deposit (capped at one month's rent), and the actual cost of a new lock—nothing else. As of August 1, 2025, you cannot be forced to pay a broker fee unless you personally hired the broker. Security deposits must sit in a separate, interest-bearing Massachusetts bank account, and mishandling them can cost a landlord triple damages. You have a non-waivable right to a habitable home under the State Sanitary Code (105 CMR 410), including heat of at least 68°F by day. 'Self-help' evictions—changing locks, shutting off utilities, removing belongings—are illegal; only a judge can order an eviction and only a sheriff can carry it out.

Anyone renting or about to rent in Greater Boston—first-time renters, students, families, and current tenants facing a fee dispute, a repair issue, a deposit problem, or an eviction notice.

• •Only four upfront charges are legal: first month, last month, security deposit (max one month), and lock/key cost
• •The 2025 broker-fee law means tenants pay a broker fee only if they hired the broker
• •Security-deposit violations can trigger treble (triple) damages plus attorney's fees
• •The warranty of habitability cannot be waived—no lease clause can sign away your right to a safe, heated home
• •Late fees are illegal until rent is 30 days past due
• •Eviction is a court process (summary process); locking a tenant out is a crime
• •Source-of-income discrimination—refusing Section 8 or subsidies—is illegal in Massachusetts