MA · Free to generate and download
State-specific leases, notices, checklists, and addenda for a Massachusetts rental. Legal notes last reviewed 2026-08-15. LeaseGen.io is not a law firm.
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Screen an applicant, write the lease, and document the move-in.
Receipts, entry, rent changes, renewals, and papers that amend who lives there.
Give notice, inspect at surrender, and account for the deposit. Use an eviction notice only for unpaid rent or a lease violation.
Short summaries of the rules that shape Massachusetts leases, notices, and deposit papers on LeaseGen.io. Last reviewed 2026-08-15. Not legal advice.
A security deposit generally may not exceed one month’s rent (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B). First month’s rent, last month’s rent, and a reasonable lock/key fee may also be collected. Hold the deposit in a separate Massachusetts account, give the statutory receipts, and pay interest. Unused deposit plus an itemized list is generally due within 30 days. Noncompliance can cost triple damages.
A tenancy at will generally takes notice equal to the rental interval, often 30 days (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 12).
Massachusetts does not prescribe a statewide 24-hour entry statute. Put a reasonable-notice entry clause in the lease. Emergency entry is customary.
A Massachusetts rent increase should be in writing. Many landlords use at least the same notice they would use to end a month-to-month tenancy. A tenancy at will generally takes notice equal to the rental interval, often 30 days (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 12). The lease may require more. Local rent-control rules can cap the amount even when the notice period is met.
Massachusetts nonpayment usually starts with a 14-day notice to quit. The tenant may be able to cure by paying before the summary-process hearing. This is not a summary-process summons.
Massachusetts residential leases commonly need these statewide disclosures. The lease generator adds them when your answers trigger them.
Give the statutory deposit receipt, hold the money in a separate interest-bearing Massachusetts account, and notify the tenant of the bank. Missing these steps can forfeit the deposit and trigger triple damages.
These Massachusetts cities often have rent-control, just-cause, or relocation rules on top of state law. Confirm the ordinance before you raise rent or decline to renew.
boston · cambridge · somerville