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MA Landlord and Tenant Law Questions and Answers

Topic	Replies	Created	Last reply
Eviction Notice My landlord recently gave me a notice to quit for being late on my rent on Jan. 20. A day after I recieve the notice I paid him the rent. He tells me ...	5	4 years 13 weeks ago by Singer	2 years 5 weeks ago by admin
Pay Partial Rent I had a lenghthy phone conversation with my landlards explaining I was laid off & can't afford the full rent at this time. They agreed I could pay pa...	0	4 years 11 weeks ago by auntiecee	n/a
Is there a law that protects a tenant under a lease if they need to relocate for employment? I signed a 1 yr lease, putting down first and last months rent back in September. I was laid off in December, and continued to pay rent with the sever...	1	4 years 11 weeks ago by Clodahl	4 years 11 weeks ago by The Editor
My landlord passed away and his estranged ex girlfriend is telling me to write her a personal check. I recently found out my landlord passed away. I was never contacted by anyone, I found out about his death by calling the police station. I found in...	1	4 years 10 weeks ago by Anonymous	4 years 10 weeks ago by The Editor
Lead Paint Liability in MA If I rent to a tenant that does not have children but has a child visit, am I liable for lead poisoning to that child if the house has lead violations...	4	4 years 9 weeks ago by ringwood	24 weeks 1 day ago by JDee
As a Landlord, do I have reason to terminate the lease? I'm a landlord in MA. I had a couple and 4 kids move into the apartment that we vacated in our 2-family home. Apparently last night the husband got d...	0	4 years 9 weeks ago by michaelgvh	n/a
deposit left before lease..... I looked at an apt March 3rd, liked it, and left a half month deposit on March 4th (for march 15-31) prior to seeing a lease. Verbally, the money I le...	0	4 years 9 weeks ago by stu1965	n/a
Tenant Lead Law - In Condo Association I had my condo and common areas tested for lead paint mostly for knowledge and there were a couple of spots within my condo but most of the issues lay...	1	4 years 8 weeks ago by lcaru2002	4 years 8 weeks ago by The Editor
Condo Associatoin Fee & Tenants We have common heat in a 3 unit condo association and everyone pays according to their percentage of ownership. I rent my unit out, and most often te...	0	4 years 8 weeks ago by lcaru2002	n/a
multiple properties = multiple sd accounts?! I own several properties that I collect security deposits. Do I need to create separate interest bearing accounts for the different properties? Als...	1	4 years 7 weeks ago by jameslebowitz25	4 years 7 weeks ago by The Editor
Lease and Tenant At Will My lease ends April 30th and it states that it becomes tenant-at-will immediately after that. Today my landlord sent me a notice to leave by April 30t...	1	4 years 7 weeks ago by Tiggrstaar	4 years 6 weeks ago by The Editor
Can a Landlord start showing a unit 5 months in advance? We have a year lease on our house in Maynard that will expire on July 31,2009. Our landlord wanted to know on March 1 if we will renew the lease beca...	6	4 years 4 weeks ago by gmandler	47 weeks 6 days ago by rytc
What constitutes a reasonable effort to re-rent my apartment? Hi, I am looking to get out of my lease early, so I found someone willing to sign a 15 month lease (to cover my 3 remaining months and the next 12)...	0	4 years 4 weeks ago by brianm	n/a
Couple renting a room refuses to pay rent/utilities I have a spare room in the house that I own and live in. On January 11, 2009, I rented the spare room and private bath to a couple on a month-to-mont...	3	4 years 4 weeks ago by mamsp	4 years 3 weeks ago by admin
Housing Court or District Court? I need to evict a tenant who has been lying to me and refusing to pay rent. Should I go to the Massachusetts Housing Court or the District Court?	1	4 years 3 weeks ago by Lyle G	4 years 3 weeks ago by The Editor
Do I pay rent during deleading if I'm staying with family and friends? My son was diagnosed with lead poisoning when he was 18 months old (back in Nov). Deleading to my apt. began April 3rd. I had received information fr...	2	4 years 3 weeks ago by nika71078	4 years 2 weeks ago by matthewb22
Abandoned Rental Property I rented a room in my house to a man, no lease, all was fine until he was arrested, and is now in prison. He refuses to communicate with me about his...	1	4 years 2 weeks ago by Anonymous	4 years 2 weeks ago by The Editor
Chapter 93A ? Signing Away Right to Sue? Hello, I am a Criminal Justice / Paralegal major so I try my best to educate myself of available remedies by law for my problem, but I am stumped on t...	1	4 years 2 weeks ago by EM07	4 years 2 weeks ago by The Editor
eviction due to illness my mother-in-law has stage 4 cancer and needs to be where we can keep a better eye on her. also she needs to be on first floor. how long and what do i...	2	4 years 2 weeks ago by signmup	4 years 2 weeks ago by signmup
landlord refusing to receive mail from small claims court My landlord has refused to sign my certified 30-day notice letter and security deposit demand letter. He has changed his mailing address as well. I ...	1	4 years 2 weeks ago by Anonymous	4 years 1 week ago by The Editor
Can I recover deposit given to Hold Apartment? Hi! My husband saw an apartment that he really liked for our family to move into... he didnt want to lose the apartment, so he wrote the landlord a ch...	2	4 years 1 week ago by sweetheart0630	52 weeks 12 hours ago by The Editor
My potential landlord is adding additional fees I'm about to sign a lease on an apartment, but the landlord is claiming that he need an extra $200 dollars to hire professional cleaners to clean the ...	1	4 years 1 week ago by raclark	4 years 1 week ago by The Editor
Breaking lease - newly defined terms Hi! I recently spoke to my landlord about getting out of my lease earlier than expected because my roommate is moving away and I want to move to a dif...	1	4 years 3 days ago by Anonymous	4 years 3 days ago by The Editor
Tenant entering another tenant's apartment I live in an apartment and a downstairs neighbor entered my apartment (without being invited) TWICE to complain of noise while maintenance was doing r...	1	4 years 3 days ago by Anonymous	4 years 2 days ago by The Editor
Can I stop my eviction? I am supposed to move out of my apartment because of an eviction. The ladlord says he is sending the sheriff in a few days but I have nowher to move ...	2	3 years 51 weeks ago by Anonymous	2 years 5 weeks ago by ezyu
Tenant at will and Notice to Quit & Notice to raise rent Can you please tell me in layman's terms how it works to be given 30 days notice to vacate when I am the tenant at will? My rent is due on the first o...	1	3 years 50 weeks ago by Mr Darcy	3 years 50 weeks ago by The Editor
Copy of signed lease I have been living in my apt. for 8 months. We tried to get out of the lease and the landlord stated only if we put it back up for rent and have some...	1	3 years 49 weeks ago by GAngeldb	3 years 49 weeks ago by The Editor
Can I charge a tenant who breaks his lease for the cost of re-renting the unit? I have a tenant who wants to break his 1-Year lease and move out a couple of months into the lease. I know that I have the obligation use reasonabl...	1	3 years 49 weeks ago by new to renting	3 years 49 weeks ago by The Editor
When can landlord show apartment to prospective tenant? My landlord gave us an eviction notice which is OK becayse we want out of the lease just as badly...so that's all fine. However, can he enter or show ...	3	3 years 48 weeks ago by Anonymous	2 years 44 weeks ago by admin
Interest and Damages from Landlord On Monday, I won by default against my former landlady who never returned my security deposit. I was surprised to find it was for only the amount of t...	0	3 years 48 weeks ago by Anonymous	n/a
being sued in small claims court by landlord My former landlord is suing me for back rent. But he had me making out payment to another name. Claiming he sold it to this woman. Wouldn't the new p...	1	3 years 48 weeks ago by undisputedme	3 years 47 weeks ago by admin
Proper procedure for suit by landlord in small claims court? Apparently I am being sued in small claims by a former landlord, but they are sending notices to wrong address intentionally. The only actual paperwor...	1	3 years 47 weeks ago by Hgfritz	3 years 47 weeks ago by The Editor
Landlord selling building and keeping security deposit Where do I begin? We are a tenant at will because our landlord is selling our home. The house was sold and they will be closing on the house the end o...	1	3 years 47 weeks ago by jswcarter	3 years 47 weeks ago by The Editor
Renter's Insurance Is a landlord allowed to require Renter's Insurance on Tenant's personal property? I just noticed this clause on my lease and was never made aware th...	1	3 years 47 weeks ago by Anonymous	3 years 47 weeks ago by The Editor
Mediation between landlord and tenant at MA housing court I am going to housing court next week to try to evict my tenant. This is the first time I've had to do this and I am unsure how to proceed. From som...	1	3 years 46 weeks ago by StephW	3 years 46 weeks ago by The Editor
How should landlord serve notice to quit? My tenants refused to sign any notices delivered to them. So, I sent a certified mail. They were very upset that I took that approach. I explained tha...	2	3 years 46 weeks ago by Hopefull	3 years 44 weeks ago by Hopefull
When does landlord use a 14 day notice to quit? I'm confused about what MA law says about a landlord using a 14 day notice to quit or a 30 day notice to quit. What is the difference?	1	3 years 46 weeks ago by Anonymous	3 years 46 weeks ago by The Editor
Landlord Still Holding Security Deposit 10 Months After Move-Out My roommates and I moved out this past September. When we received the security deposit information it said we owed him 1500 dollars on top of our en...	1	3 years 45 weeks ago by NUboston17	3 years 45 weeks ago by The Editor
I'm evicting my tenant but need access to his apt to verify his claim he has pests This is the back story to my question... I purchased a building in New Bedford in Dec 08. The building needed some work, as did the apts. When I ...	3	3 years 45 weeks ago by cola227	3 years 45 weeks ago by The Editor
What does the 30 days to recieve your deposit mean? Everything I read tells me that I am entitled to have received my returned security deposit after 30 days. But what does 30 days mean? Is it that af...	1	3 years 45 weeks ago by Anonymous	3 years 45 weeks ago by The Editor
Filing 14 notice to quit with power of attorney My boyfriend has my power of attorney. I had him fill out the paperwork and have a constable deliver a 14 day notice. At the appropriate time, he fi...	2	3 years 45 weeks ago by cola227	3 years 44 weeks ago by Hopefull
I think my tenant has moved without telling me I orginally posted this in the wrong section... I have an elderly tenant that lives alone and doesn't speak English. She's a good tenant, keeps to ...	1	3 years 45 weeks ago by shop247	3 years 45 weeks ago by The Editor
Recertification I moved into an apartment/townhouse complex in December. This complex is small and was funded by state and, I believe federal funds so some of the uni...	1	3 years 45 weeks ago by jordangel29	3 years 44 weeks ago by The Editor
Can I shut off tenant's gas and electric? My tenant is not paying rent and I am in process of evicting him. Since I pay his gas and electric as part of our rental agreement, can I shut them o...	1	3 years 44 weeks ago by Anonymous	3 years 44 weeks ago by The Editor
Withholding Rent MY LANDLADY SERVED ME WITH A NOTICE BACK IN MAY THAT SHE IT IS HER INTENTION TO TERMINATE MY TENANCY, SHE WANTS TO GIVE THE APT TO HER TWO JOBLESS SON...	1	3 years 44 weeks ago by beautifuldizzy	3 years 44 weeks ago by The Editor
Early lease termination of one year lease contract I have entered a one year lease contract in an appartment shared by three persons lest September. I had to move out of the appartment two months ahead...	1	3 years 44 weeks ago by patrickm	3 years 44 weeks ago by The Editor
14 day notice to quit rejected by court I filed a 14 day notice to quit for nonpayment in Mass. Due to a procedural error, housing court asked me to resend the 14 day notice so I did. In the...	3	3 years 43 weeks ago by Anonymous	3 years 43 weeks ago by admin
Sub-landlord vs. Landlord and security deposits I am trying to find out what differences exist, if any, between the laws stipulating the manner in which the prime landlord or sub-landlord are requir...	1	3 years 43 weeks ago by Anonymous	3 years 43 weeks ago by The Editor
Tenant not paying Last Month's Rent The tenant has rec'd notice to vacate premises in August, and said that they will move out. However, he has refused to pay last month's rent (July). H...	3	3 years 43 weeks ago by Hopefull	3 years 42 weeks ago by admin
Tenant rights when property sold I have been a tenant at this location for 3.5 years and the property was sold this Mid June. The Selling broker is managing the property for the ...	1	3 years 43 weeks ago by Hatch	3 years 42 weeks ago by The Editor
Are multiple tenants each responsible for unpaid rent? I don't think this has been addressed yet in this forum, but I suspect it is a common situation... The one-year lease for my condo was signed by two p...	3	3 years 42 weeks ago by jpwspo	3 years 42 weeks ago by The Editor
How does tenant terminate tenancy at will ? I have an apt. in Brookline. My one year lease ends at the end of July. I opted not to renew my lease, so my landlord has told me I am a tenancy at wi...	2	3 years 42 weeks ago by eluh	3 years 42 weeks ago by Dixxie
Evicted from my apartment because of lease violations I just recieved a 30 day notice to vacate my apartment and am being evicted. The notice states that I violated my lease provision by using "maki...	3	3 years 42 weeks ago by Renter	3 years 41 weeks ago by The Editor
Landlord will not return money given to hold apartment. Back in April, my wife and I were about to rent a house from a woman. We put a deposit on the house, then weeks later, the landlord had issues getting...	3	3 years 41 weeks ago by Joe_Bagley	3 years 41 weeks ago by admin
Prorating Rent My tenants were served 6 weeks in advance with a notice to vacate the premises by August 15. When asked 2 weeks later if they would be out by the afo...	0	3 years 41 weeks ago by Hopefull	n/a
What are my rights to sue my landlord for not giving my security deposit on time and without interest Hello, I am having/had big problems getting my security deposit back from my landlord. It was a $500 deposit I was suppose to get back with interes...	1	3 years 41 weeks ago by msf145	3 years 41 weeks ago by The Editor
Guarantee on a Lease. If i signed a lease and someone signed a Guarantee on the lease, Is these a way for the other person to get out of that Guarantee?	1	3 years 41 weeks ago by mcpunjabi	3 years 41 weeks ago by The Editor
Tenant moved out before court eviction hearing. I'm scheduled to go to housing court next week to evict my tenant for nonpayment. I found out from a neighbor that he moved out this week. I don't liv...	1	3 years 41 weeks ago by Anonymous	3 years 41 weeks ago by The Editor
Breaking lease before Moving in? I am in a lease and before I moved in I notified landlord I will not be moving in now? DO I have any chance to not have to pay for the entire lease?...	1	3 years 41 weeks ago by dmn	3 years 41 weeks ago by The Editor
Return of last month's rent after fire My roommate and I have lived in an apartment in Cambridge for over a year. Our lease ended on April 30 but we made a verbal agreement with our landlor...	2	3 years 40 weeks ago by TM_Cambridge	3 years 38 weeks ago by MBL
No Lease...Unlawful entry...Wrongful eviction My landlord (Boston) has refused to provide me a copy of the lease ever since I moved in 3 yrs ago. Two wks ago he verbally agreed to renew the lease...	1	3 years 40 weeks ago by Anonymous	3 years 40 weeks ago by The Editor
Kicking out a subtlet-roommate I live in an apartment with 4 other roommates. Back in April, we moved in a new girl to replace another girl. New girl is not on the lease but the ten...	1	3 years 40 weeks ago by myriam917	3 years 40 weeks ago by The Editor
Landlord finds a tenant after I break a lease. What am I liable for? First, I've done my due diligence to read the postings on this forum as well several other websites on lease laws. I understand that I am liable for d...	1	3 years 40 weeks ago by Anonymous	3 years 40 weeks ago by The Editor
Getting deposit back before signing lease I had paid a deposit for a new apartment in the form of a personal check. I was told by the realtor that this check would be cashed only upon signing ...	1	3 years 40 weeks ago by sharan	3 years 40 weeks ago by The Editor
Tenants Will Not Leave Upon giving tenants notice, they said that they would be out by the end of the six weeks given. Now that I check to get some kind of confirmation that...	2	3 years 40 weeks ago by Dixxie	3 years 39 weeks ago by Dixxie
Landlord is charging me for utilities in separate apartment My landlord converted the basement of the house I'm renting into a studio apartment and want to rent it out separately. However, the utilities are al...	1	3 years 39 weeks ago by capecodjustin	3 years 39 weeks ago by The Editor
Am I liable for the rest of my lease? AND Can I sue my landlord for the cost of moving? I have provided my landlord, with a 30 day notice that I am breaking my lease due to my apartment becoming unlivable. It states in my lease that cen...	0	3 years 39 weeks ago by schadsey	n/a
No lease -- do I owe rent for the month after I moved out? I recently moved out of an apartment in which I lived from September 1, 2008-July 31, 2009. I never signed a lease, as my two roommates were basically...	1	3 years 39 weeks ago by Anonymous	3 years 39 weeks ago by The Editor
Roommate agreement help needed Thank you so much for providing this forum and thank you in advance for any help you are able to provide. I am the only tenant on my lease, and I p...	0	3 years 39 weeks ago by Anonymous	n/a
Security Deposit I paid a security deposit to my landlord and have a receipt saying I paid it, but I never received anything about the security deposit after that? Fr...	0	3 years 39 weeks ago by liberty	n/a
apartment building selling Does your landlord have to notify you that he/she is selling the property? Or is just having the sign show up in the front of the house just supposed...	1	3 years 39 weeks ago by liberty	3 years 39 weeks ago by The Editor
Landlord lied about living conditions Hi. I was looking for a house to share, and I found a house with 4 bedrooms. The landlord, who is one of the roommates, showed me the house which in...	1	3 years 38 weeks ago by alexis	3 years 38 weeks ago by The Editor
Charging Correct Amount for Rent My tenants who were on a month to month tenancy are moving out a few days after a notice to vacate the premises have expired. Can I charge for the add...	1	3 years 38 weeks ago by Hopefull	3 years 38 weeks ago by The Editor
Refusal to Put in Writing Permission to Use Security Deposit for Other Purposes Upon tenants turning over the keys of unit and our going over list of damages, etc, the tenants stated to take money for "use & occupancy," damages, e...	1	3 years 37 weeks ago by Hopefull	3 years 37 weeks ago by The Editor
Landlady is not returning money deposited I am in a dilemma and desperately need good advice on my next course of action. This lady in Quincy, MA posted an ad on craigslist for room rent in h...	1	3 years 37 weeks ago by mary	3 years 37 weeks ago by The Editor
Lease-breaking I was recently relocated by work and therefore had to break my lease prior to the terms. Before signing my lease on 4/1/09, I explained to the leasin...	0	3 years 37 weeks ago by mogu777	n/a
Should I give my potential "landlord" my SSN? For applying to rent their properties, some landlords require us to fill out a detailed application. In the application, they ask for critical informa...	1	3 years 37 weeks ago by confused_renter	3 years 22 weeks ago by admin
Return of Security Deposit I rented a room in my home and collected a security deposit, one months rent. Per the agreement, the roommate did not give proper notice, not in writi...	0	3 years 37 weeks ago by camille	n/a
Storage Shed Company placed me in collections I had a storage shed. I called the company and cancel, I also sent them a letter. I never went in to pay the last months rent. The next month they ...	0	3 years 37 weeks ago by blueplate	n/a
Illegal Apartment Eviction I have been renting a basement apartment for over 2 years from my former employer. I did ask for a lease several times, and got the "you know me, I ...	0	3 years 37 weeks ago by scout1011	n/a
Living in Apartment Past Lease Expiration and Tenancy at Will Hi -- My lease ended August 15th and I did not sign a renewal because I intended to move. I have now informed the landlord that I will be ending my l...	1	3 years 36 weeks ago by littlemermaid	3 years 36 weeks ago by The Editor
My Roomates Want To Gouge My Rent Because I Want to Sublet One of My Rooms I recently was one of four guys that signed a one year lease for three floors of a house in Cambridge. The rent is 2,900 per month all together. Upon ...	0	3 years 36 weeks ago by Taggart	n/a
Lease expire -> AutomaticallyTenant At Will -> Notice To Leave Questions I have a lease which expired a little over 6 months ago. I have been a tenant at will since. I spoke with the landlord before the lease ended to make ...	1	3 years 35 weeks ago by rentnomore	3 years 35 weeks ago by The Editor
Landlord moving in a new tenant into my apartment without notice!! I have been living a townhouse with 2 other people. Two of us signed the lease and the other signed an agreement. The lease and agreement expired last...	0	3 years 35 weeks ago by RenterAtWill	n/a
Is heat required to be provided by landlord during unusual weather? Is a landlord required to provide heat if it is unseasonably cool but not yet within the legally required timeframe (in Mass) of Septmber 16th - April...	1	3 years 35 weeks ago by stacyrex	3 years 35 weeks ago by The Editor
Tenant Owes Balance Against Security Deposit I am about to send a notice to tenant with a list of the itemized damages against the Security Deposit. The damages exceeds the deposit; therefore th...	1	3 years 35 weeks ago by Dixxie	3 years 34 weeks ago by The Editor
Uninhabitable living conditions/breaking lease & getting money back? I just recently moved into an apartment in Boston. Its a roommate situation and I was in touch with her about it. I did not have any contact with the ...	0	3 years 35 weeks ago by mls282	n/a
Illegally charged for oil? I recently moved out of an apartment where I was a tenant at will with no signed lease. Over the course of the two years I lived there, my landlord i...	1	3 years 33 weeks ago by AnnieDog	3 years 33 weeks ago by The Editor
Landlord showing home to buyers before lease ends In April, we moved into a rental home and signed a lease until September 2010. The landlord informs us that her siblings are pressuring her to sell th...	3	3 years 32 weeks ago by LMRS	3 years 32 weeks ago by The Editor
Landlord using Security Deposit to pay rent I had been living at this location for 4 years, the selling brokers are now managing the property. When I moved in I paid the first month's rent and s...	1	3 years 31 weeks ago by alca0104	3 years 31 weeks ago by The Editor
Tenant at Will???? My lease expired and I did not sign the renewal lease. Does this make me a tenant at will? The new lease that was not signed did have a paragraph in t...	0	3 years 30 weeks ago by Matt_w	n/a
Does landlord have any rights if security deposit not properly held and/or returned? I'm a landlord. I was 1 day late returning the security deposit. I deducted a couple hundred dolars for damage, the estmate was almost twice what I ...	0	3 years 30 weeks ago by Lost In Law	n/a
Fees for new appliances? my management gave me new appliances. And now they want me to pay 20.00 extra a month in fees . for the duration of my stay. but they wont write what ...	1	3 years 30 weeks ago by teatime0627	3 years 30 weeks ago by The Editor
When do the 14 days officially start? I want to evict a tenant for failure to pay rent and have sent him a 14 day notice to quit or pay rent by certified mail. The status of the delivery ...	1	3 years 30 weeks ago by brookside	3 years 30 weeks ago by The Editor
Cell phone tower disclosure I am renting an apartment in MA. I recently discovered there is a FFC registered antenna tower (registered to Cingular Wireless) on top of the buildin...	3	3 years 29 weeks ago by redseal	3 years 29 weeks ago by The Editor
Security Deposit/Damages after property transfer? Until recently, I was a tenant in the same apartment for about 10 years. The multifamily house was sold/bought about five years ago. After the sale, t...	1	3 years 29 weeks ago by Anonymous	3 years 29 weeks ago by The Editor
Notice/Tenancy at will whole-month rule? Sorry if this has been answered before, but I looked at similar posts and did not see a definite statement whether or not MA tenancy-at-will (with 30 ...	1	3 years 29 weeks ago by Anonymous	3 years 29 weeks ago by The Editor
Is transfer fee for changing apartments legal in MA? Is there anything in writing about a transfer fee. Can Management charge random amount. ranging from 500-1,000.even if you leave apartment in very cle...	1	3 years 29 weeks ago by stoughton2009	3 years 29 weeks ago by The Editor
Required disclosures by landlord The recent question about whether a landlord has to disclose to an applicant/tenant if a cell phone tower is nearby, has me wondering - what is the la...	1	3 years 28 weeks ago by Anonymous	3 years 28 weeks ago by The Editor
Is there a way to "force" a lease? I had been living in my current apartment in Cambridge on a one-year lease up until July 31st of this year. There was no clause in the lease specifyi...	1	3 years 28 weeks ago by Anonymous	3 years 28 weeks ago by The Editor