For Massachusetts renters: your fee rights
Massachusetts has some of the strongest rules on rental fees in the country. Here is what a landlord can and cannot ask you to pay.
Last reviewed November 1, 2026 against 940 CMR 38.00 and M.G.L. c. 186, s. 15B and the sources below · How we check facts
Before you move in
A landlord may ask for only four things: first month's rent, last month's rent, a security deposit of up to one month's rent, and the cost of a new lock and key. Nothing else at or before move-in.
That means no application fee, holding fee, move-in fee, cleaning fee or upfront pet deposit.
What the ad must show
Since September 2, 2025, any price in a rental ad must be the Total Price, including every fee you must pay, with each fee's purpose and amount. A fee that was not disclosed cannot be charged later.
Broker fees
Since August 1, 2025, you pay a broker only if you hired that broker. If the landlord's broker listed or showed the unit, the landlord pays.
Late rent
No late fee or interest may be charged until your rent is 30 days late.
Your security deposit
- You should get a receipt, and the name of the bank and account number where it is held.
- You should get a written statement of the unit's condition at the start.
- Interest is owed to you each year.
- It must be returned within 30 days after you move out, minus only allowed deductions listed in writing.
If you were charged a fee that is not allowed
- Keep receipts, the ad and the lease.
- Ask the landlord in writing to refund it, and keep a copy.
- If that does not work, file a complaint with the Attorney General's Office, or contact a local legal aid program.
Not sure about a specific charge? Use the Massachusetts fee checker or see every fee A to Z.
Frequently asked questions
What can a Massachusetts landlord collect before move-in?
Only four things: first month's rent, last month's rent at the same rate, a security deposit of no more than one month's rent, and the cost of a new lock and key (M.G.L. c. 186, s. 15B).
Are application fees legal in Massachusetts?
No. An application fee is not one of the four charges a landlord may collect at or before move-in.
Who pays the broker fee in Massachusetts?
Since August 1, 2025, whoever hired the broker. A landlord cannot pass its own broker's fee to the tenant. A tenant who hires a broker may owe that broker.
When can a Massachusetts landlord charge a late fee?
Not until rent is 30 days late. No lease may impose interest or a penalty for late rent before then.
How much can a security deposit be in Massachusetts?
No more than one month's rent. It must be held in a separate interest-bearing account in a Massachusetts bank, with a receipt, and returned within 30 days after the tenancy ends.
Does a Massachusetts landlord owe interest on last month's rent?
Yes. Interest is owed each year, at 5% or the lower rate a bank paid on it.
Related
Not legal advice. Confirm your lease with a Massachusetts attorney.