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Make your Massachusetts lease
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Massachusetts Residential Lease Agreement
1. Parties
This Residential Lease Agreement (the "Lease") is between ("Landlord") and ("Tenant"). If more than one person signs as Tenant, each of them is fully responsible for all of Tenant's obligations under this Lease.
2. Property
Landlord rents to Tenant the residence at (the "Property"), including (parking, storage, appliances or furniture included, if any).
3. Term
This Lease begins on and ends on . If Tenant stays after the end date with Landlord's written consent, the tenancy continues from month to month on the same terms unless the parties sign a new lease or the law where the Property is located provides otherwise.
4. Rent
Tenant will pay rent of per month, in advance, on or before the day of each month, by .
If this Lease starts on a day other than the rent due day, rent for the first partial month is , calculated by dividing the monthly rent by the number of days in that month and multiplying by the number of days Tenant has the Property.
5. Late charges and returned payments
If rent is not received in full within days after it is due, Tenant will pay a late charge of . Tenant will pay for any payment returned unpaid by the bank. No late charge or fee will be more than the law where the Property is located allows.
6. Security deposit
Tenant will pay a security deposit of before moving in. Landlord will hold, apply and return the deposit as required by the law where the Property is located. After Tenant moves out, Landlord will return the deposit, less any lawful deductions with a written itemized list, within the time that law requires. Tenant may not use the deposit as the last month's rent without Landlord's written consent.
7. Occupants and use
Only Tenant and these people may live at the Property: . Tenant will use the Property only as a private residence, follow all laws, and not disturb neighbors.
8. Utilities
Tenant will pay for these utilities and services: . Landlord will pay for all other utilities and services, if any, that serve the Property.
9. Pets
Pets allowed (describe, or write "none"): Pet deposit, if any: . This does not limit assistance animals that Landlord must allow under fair housing law.
10. Smoking
Smoking rules:
11. Maintenance and repairs
Tenant will keep the Property clean and safe, use appliances and fixtures properly, and promptly report any needed repairs to Landlord in writing. Landlord will make repairs the law requires. Tenant will pay for damage caused by Tenant, other occupants or guests, beyond normal wear and tear.
12. Alterations and locks
Tenant will not paint, make alterations, or add or change locks without Landlord's written consent.
13. Landlord entry
Landlord may enter the Property at reasonable times to inspect, make repairs or show it, after giving Tenant at least hours' notice, or any longer notice the law requires. Landlord may enter without notice in an emergency.
14. Subletting and assignment
Tenant will not sublet the Property or assign this Lease without Landlord's written consent.
15. Moving out
When this Lease ends, Tenant will leave the Property clean and in the same condition as at move-in except for normal wear and tear, return all keys, and give Landlord a forwarding address in writing.
16. Security deposit receipt, bank account and interest (M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B)
Landlord will give Tenant a signed receipt for the security deposit stating its amount, the name of the person receiving it (and, for an agent, the Landlord's name), the date received and a description of the premises. The deposit will be held in a separate, interest-bearing account in a bank located in Massachusetts, beyond the claim of Landlord's creditors. Landlord will pay Tenant interest on the deposit at five percent per year, or the lesser amount the bank pays, as M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B requires.
Bank name and address:
17. Statement of condition
Upon receipt of the security deposit, or within ten days after the tenancy begins, whichever is later, Landlord will give Tenant a separate written statement of the present condition of the premises, including a comprehensive list of any damage that then exists.
18. Late payment
No interest or penalty will be charged for late rent until thirty days after the rent was due, as M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(1)(c) requires. Any late charge in this Lease applies only after that time.
19. Charges at the start of the tenancy
At or before the start of the tenancy, Landlord has not required Tenant to pay more than the first full month's rent, the last full month's rent at the same rate, a security deposit equal to the first month's rent, and the purchase and installation cost of a key and lock.
20. Lead paint notification (M.G.L. c. 111, § 197A)
If the Property was built before 1978: before this tenancy agreement, Landlord gave Tenant the Massachusetts lead law notification materials and standard form, any most recent lead paint inspection report, letter of interim control, letter of compliance or abatement plan for the unit and common areas, and two copies of a certification that Tenant received them. ☐ Signed certification attached.
21. Disclosures
Was the Property built before 1978? If yes, the federal lead-based paint disclosure, signed by both parties, is attached, and Tenant received the EPA pamphlet Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home.
Other disclosures or addenda attached:
22. Notices
Notices to Landlord go to: . Notices to Tenant go to the Property address, or to any other address Tenant gives Landlord in writing.
23. Governing law and entire agreement
This Lease is governed by the law of Massachusetts, where the Property is located. If any part of this Lease is invalid or conflicts with that law, that part is limited to what the law allows and the rest of the Lease stays in effect. This Lease, with any attached addenda, is the entire agreement. Any change must be in writing and signed by Landlord and Tenant.
24. Additional terms
Signatures
This Massachusetts lease agreement template builds the state's deposit, late-payment and lead law terms into the lease itself. Fill in the form and the lease updates as you type; if a deposit is more than one month's rent or a late charge starts before day 30, the form flags it. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Massachusetts security deposit law
Massachusetts deposit rules are detailed, and the penalties are steep. The deposit may not exceed the first month's rent (M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(1)(b)). After that, five duties follow in order:
The return deadline is "within thirty days after the termination of occupancy" (§ 15B(4)), and a landlord who breaks the rules the statute lists can owe "three times the amount of such security deposit or balance thereof to which the tenant is entitled plus interest at the rate of five per cent" (§ 15B).
Massachusetts lease rules at a glance
| Rule | Massachusetts | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Security deposit limit | No more than the first month's rent | c. 186, § 15B(1)(b) |
| What you can collect up front | First month's rent, last month's rent, the deposit and the cost of a new lock and key; nothing more (introductory wording amended effective August 1, 2025) | § 15B(1)(b) |
| Deposit receipt and account | Signed receipt with the details the statute lists; deposit in a separate, interest-bearing Massachusetts bank account | § 15B(2)-(3) |
| Statement of condition | On receiving the deposit or within 10 days after the tenancy starts, whichever is later | § 15B(2)(c) |
| Interest on the deposit | 5% a year, or the lesser amount the bank pays, paid to the tenant | § 15B(3) |
| Deposit return | Within 30 days after the tenancy ends; a landlord who breaks the rules can owe three times the deposit plus interest at 5% | § 15B(4) |
| Late fees | No interest or penalty until rent is 30 days late | § 15B(1)(c) |
| Landlord entry | A lease may allow entry only to inspect, make repairs, or show the unit to a prospective tenant, buyer or lender; the clause sets no hours of notice | § 15B(1)(a) |
| Ending a tenancy at will | 3 months' written notice, or if rent is paid more often, one rental period or 30 days, whichever is longer | c. 186, § 12 |
| Copy of the lease | Signed copy to the tenant within 30 days; fine up to $300 | c. 186, § 15D |
From the official text of the Massachusetts General Laws on malegislature.gov, read November 2, 2026. Cities and towns, including Boston, can add their own rules. A template, not legal advice.
Worked example: a $2,000 a month apartment
Most you can collect at signing
- First month: $2,000
- Last month: $2,000
- Security deposit: up to $2,000
- Plus the cost of a new lock and key
- Total before the lock: $6,000
What you cannot charge
- An application fee or a "holding" fee: they are not on the statute's list
- A late fee before day 30
- A pet deposit on top of a full one-month deposit: any deposit counts toward the one-month limit
Interest you owe the tenant: 5% a year or the bank's lower rate, so at most $100 a year on a $2,000 deposit.
Computed from the § 15B limits: deposit equals one month's rent; up-front total is first month + last month + deposit; interest is 5% of the deposit a year (the tenant is owed the lesser amount the bank pays, if lower).
Notices and clauses this Massachusetts lease includes
- Deposit receipt, bank and interest terms from § 15B, with a line for the bank's name and address.
- The statement of condition promise, with the 10-day timing.
- A late payment clause that keeps any late charge after the 30-day mark.
- An up-front charges statement listing only what § 15B(1)(b) allows.
- The lead law notification required before a tenancy agreement by M.G.L. c. 111, § 197A (statute), plus the federal lead-based paint disclosure for homes built before 1978 (EPA).
How to use this Massachusetts lease agreement
- Fill in the parties, address, term and rent, and keep the deposit at or below one month's rent.
- Enter a grace period of at least 30 days if you set a late charge.
- Print two copies, sign, and give the tenant a signed copy within 30 days (c. 186, § 15D).
- Hand over the deposit receipt and, within 10 days, the statement of condition; record the unit with our move-in checklist.
- When the tenancy ends, return the deposit within 30 days using the security deposit return letter.
Starting a tenancy at will instead? Use the month-to-month lease with at least the notice § 12 requires. The general version is our lease agreement template.
More state versions: New York, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, Illinois, New Jersey, Washington and Maryland.
Frequently asked questions
How much can a Massachusetts landlord charge for a security deposit?
No more than the first month's rent. At or before the start of a tenancy a landlord may collect only first month's rent, last month's rent, that deposit and the cost of a new lock and key (M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(1)(b)).
When can a Massachusetts landlord charge a late fee?
Not until rent is 30 days late. A lease may not impose interest or a penalty for late rent before then (§ 15B(1)(c)).
How long does a landlord have to return a deposit in Massachusetts?
30 days after the tenancy ends. Breaking the deposit rules the statute lists can make the landlord liable for three times the deposit plus 5% interest.
Does a Massachusetts lease need a statement of condition?
Yes, when a deposit is taken: a separate written statement of the unit's condition, given on receipt of the deposit or within 10 days after the tenancy starts, whichever is later.
How much notice ends a tenancy at will in Massachusetts?
Three months in writing, or if rent is paid more often, one rental period or 30 days, whichever is longer (M.G.L. c. 186, § 12).