Massachusetts · Pet addendum · Free to generate and download
Massachusetts Pet Addendum
This Massachusetts pet addendum lets a tenant keep named animals on an existing lease. Massachusetts generally caps a security deposit at 1× monthly rent. A pet deposit usually counts toward that cap. Assistance animals required by fair-housing law are not pets and cannot be charged a pet deposit or pet rent. It does not replace the lease, and it does not apply to assistance animals.
- Massachusetts generally treats extra deposits as part of the one-month security deposit under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B. A separate pet deposit is usually not allowed.
- Unused deposit money is generally due within 30 days (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B).
- Assistance animals are not pets. Do not use this addendum to charge a deposit or rent for one.
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Related Massachusetts documents
- Massachusetts Residential Lease Agreement. A fixed-term residential rental contract built around the property’s state rules.
- Massachusetts Lease Amendment. A short writing that changes named terms of an existing residential lease.
- Massachusetts Guarantor / Co-Signer Addendum. An add-on to an existing lease in which another person guarantees the tenant’s rent and other lease duties. It does not make the guarantor a tenant.
- Massachusetts Move-In Condition Checklist. A condition inventory completed at move-in. It is not a lease.
Frequently asked questions
Plain-language answers about Massachusetts pet addendum papers. LeaseGen.io is not a law firm. Confirm current statutes before anyone signs.
- Can I charge a pet deposit in Massachusetts?
- Massachusetts generally caps a security deposit at 1× monthly rent. A pet deposit usually counts toward that cap. Assistance animals required by fair-housing law are not pets and cannot be charged a pet deposit or pet rent.
- Is an assistance animal a pet?
- No. Under fair housing law, a qualified assistance animal is not a pet. Do not charge pet rent or a pet deposit for a lawful assistance animal.
- Does a pet addendum replace the lease?
- No. It adds pet-specific terms to the existing lease. All other lease and state habitability rules still apply.