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Landlord's Desk

State law guide · Checked November 14, 2026

Massachusetts landlord rules: late fees, deposits and rent increases

Massachusetts sets no dollar cap on late fees, but it does bar them until rent is 30 days overdue. Its deposit rules are detailed and its penalties are steep. Here is what chapter 186 of the General Laws says, with the section for each rule.

All states

The short version

  • No late fee cap in the statute, but no lease can charge interest or a penalty for late rent until 30 days after it was due.
  • Deposit limit: one month's rent.
  • Return the deposit within 30 days after the tenancy ends, with a sworn itemized list of damages if you keep any of it.
  • Deposits go in a separate interest-bearing account in a Massachusetts bank, and the tenant earns 5% a year or the lesser amount the bank paid.
  • No statute sets a notice period for raising rent, and cities and towns can't enact rent control.

Late fees in Massachusetts

Limit
None in the statute. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B
Grace period
30 days. No lease or rental agreement may impose any interest or penalty for failure to pay rent until 30 days after the rent was due. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B(1)(c)
Other conditions
None specific to late fees. A lease term that conflicts with this section is void and unenforceable. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B(8)

Security deposits in Massachusetts

Maximum deposit
One month's rent. Up front, a landlord can also ask for rent for the opening month, a prepayment of the last month's rent, and the cost of a new lock and key. Nothing more can be demanded later. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B(1)(b), (d)
Return deadline
30 days after the tenancy ends. For a tenancy at will, the 30 days run from the termination of occupancy. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B(4)
Itemized deductions
Required, within the same 30 days, as a list of damages sworn under pains and penalties of perjury. Include written evidence such as estimates, bills or receipts. Allowed deductions are limited to unpaid rent, certain unpaid tax increases and water charges, and reasonable repair of tenant damage, not normal wear and tear. Damage listed in the move-in statement of condition can't be deducted. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B(4)
Interest
5% a year, or the lesser amount the bank paid, if the deposit is held one year or longer. Interest is paid at the end of each year. If the tenancy ends sooner, accrued interest is due within 30 days. The same rule applies to a prepaid last month's rent. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B(3)(b), (2)(a)
How it's held
In a separate, interest-bearing account in a bank located in Massachusetts. The statute has no bond option. Give the tenant a receipt with the bank's name, location and the account number within 30 days. The deposit can't be mixed with the landlord's own money. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B(3)(a), (1)(e)
Penalty
Three times the deposit, plus 5% interest, court costs and reasonable attorney's fees. Treble damages apply to failures to hold the deposit in a proper account, to transfer it to a new owner, or to return it on time. If the itemized list is late, the landlord loses the right to keep any of the deposit. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B(6), (7)

Rent increases in Massachusetts

Notice to raise rent
No statute sets a notice period for a rent increase. The closest rule covers ending a tenancy at will: written notice equal to the interval between rent payments or 30 days, whichever is longer. That notice may include an offer of a new tenancy on different terms. Check your lease for its own notice term. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 12
Statewide cap
None in the statute. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186
City rent control
Not allowed. No city or town may enact, maintain or enforce rent control of any kind. The chapter does not cover public, subsidized or federally assisted housing, or mobile homes. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40P, §§ 3, 4

This page covers Massachusetts state law for ordinary residential rentals. Cities and counties can add their own rules, and subsidized housing and mobile home lots follow different ones.

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Questions landlords ask

What is the maximum late fee for rent in Massachusetts?

The statute sets no dollar or percent cap. It does bar any interest or penalty for late rent until 30 days after the rent was due (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B(1)(c)).

What is the maximum security deposit in Massachusetts?

One month's rent (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B(1)(b)).

How long does a Massachusetts landlord have to return a security deposit?

30 days after the tenancy ends, with any deductions listed in a sworn itemized statement (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B(4)).

Free templates you can use in Massachusetts

These are plain templates that aren’t tied to one state. Fill in the numbers your statute and lease call for.

Keep Massachusetts rent and deposits on one ledger

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This guide is general information, not legal advice. It summarizes state statutes as read on November 14, 2026; laws change and courts interpret them. Check the current statute (Mass. General Laws, chapter 186, section 15B) or talk to a local attorney before you act.