Not all renters who sign a Massachusetts apartment lease will stay for the entire course of its term; some of them will end up breaking their lease. As a landlord, it’s important to know what you can and can’t do if and when that happens. In this blog, we’ll go over how to break a lease in Massachusetts, both for justified and unjustified reasons. Rental Agreement in Massachusetts According to Massachusetts rental laws, rental agreements can be oral or written. Once established, the agreement gives you and your tenant certain rights and obliga…
A Guide to the Eviction Process in Massachusetts
As a landlord in Massachusetts, dealing with a difficult resident can be incredibly frustrating. They may cause negligent damage, refuse to leave after their lease is up, or even refuse to pay their rent. Luckily for you, according to Massachusetts rental laws, you may be able to evict such a tenant from your rental unit. The Massachusetts eviction process is fairly straightforward and will only take a few months to complete. If you’re looking to remove a renter from your Massachusetts property or are simply looking to familiarize yourself with…
Estoppel Certificates in Massachusetts
What Is An Estoppel Certificate? If you are a landlord planning to refinance or sell your rental property and have an existing tenant, you may be required to ask them for a signed tenant estoppel certificate that you can show the buyer or investor. Estoppel certificates are an important document needed by a buyer or lender so they can have a clear understanding of what is in the lease when acquiring the property. Buyers and lenders need to be familiar with the lease so they can smoothly take over the operations and take care of the existing ten…
Massachusetts Security Deposit Laws
Are you a landlord and require your Massachusetts tenants to pay a security deposit? If you do, you must abide by the Massachusetts security deposit law, specifically Gen L Chap186 § 15b. The chapter contains a set of rules that landlords must abide by in the collection and return of tenants’ security deposits in Massachusetts. The security deposit belongs to the tenant. Failure to abide by this law, for example, by wrongfully withholding your tenant’s deposit, can have a myriad of financial and legal repercussions. Landlords must be well vers…
Massachusetts Rental Laws - An Overview of Landlord Tenant Rights
If you are a Massachusetts landlord, knowing and understanding the landlord-tenant laws is essential. This knowledge can help landlords perform your duties and responsibilities more efficiently, as well as handle any legal issues. Required Landlord Disclosures in Massachusetts Here are the following disclosures that property owners must make in their lease or rental agreement prior to leasing their rental property to a tenant: Nonrefundable Fees There is no statute about nonrefundable fees in the landlord-tenant law in Massachusetts. However, i…
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